


In Emergencies, Call for Help

by Hino



Category: Half Life VR But The AI Is Self Aware
Genre: Gen, It's a lot of fun to use the 'It's a game' au, Joshua has to do things children shouldn't have to do, Like go across the state to rescue your father from secret agents, Might actually start updating this fic now, The Science Team is here, threats of violence against a child
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:26:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 21,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25256884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hino/pseuds/Hino
Summary: Gordon had told him to only call the number in an emergency, and Joshua had nodded."Not just any emergency," he had stressed in the way all parents do. "Not when you've fallen over, or you're lost in the store, or Daddy doesn't get you fast food for dinner. This is when you think you might die. When Daddy might die. When nobody can save you. Do you understand?"Joshua was six when his father said this. He nodded. Said he understood, despite perhaps not entirely knowing the full scope of what might happen in their lives.
Comments: 73
Kudos: 404





	1. Remember the Number

Gordon had told him to only call the number in an emergency, and Joshua had nodded.

"Not just any emergency," he had stressed in the way all parents do. "Not when you've fallen over, or you're lost in the store, or Daddy doesn't get you fast food for dinner. This is when you think you might die. When Daddy might die. When nobody can save you. Do you understand?"

Joshua was six when his father said this. He nodded. Said he understood, despite perhaps not entirely knowing the full scope of what might happen in their lives.

Gordon had smiled and ruffled his hair, and that night they ordered Josh's favourite pizza and stayed up late to watch movies.

But then things had gotten strange. Just before he gave Joshua that number, Gordon had played a computer game, and afterwards he'd been skittish and jumping at every shadow. Joshua had noticed that, but honestly, he'd gotten scared after going to Lavender Town in Pokemon, so he'd thought it was something similar.

But then there'd been midnight phonecalls and knocks on doors, strange glances in the street and some mail that Joshua wasn't allowed to read, but he'd glimpsed the words "Black Mesa Project" on the front and managed to work out that Black Mesa was the facility from his Dad's game.

And they'd grown in intensity. While nobody ever tried to force their way into the apartment when Josh answered the door and explained that his father wasn't home, he certainly saw them talking to neighbours and putting up signs. Little things that all pointed towards one fact; they wanted Gordon Freeman to come along out of his own volition, and they wanted the cooperation of anyone who'd be willing to help.

Gordon had unplugged the phone and drawn the curtains shut. He ordered food under a proxy name and made Josh answer the door, handing him money. It'd become worrying, how his father didn't sleep and watched the news all day, trying to find out if there was some kind of secret raid being broadcast, a sign that they were coming for him.

In the middle of the night, three years, four months, and 22 days after his father had handed him the phone number, Joshua Freeman woke up to an empty apartment bearing signs of a struggle. The windows were cracked, muddy footprints streaked across the floors, and the shoe rack near the front door was overturned, spilling sandals and sneakers across the entryway.

Gordon Freeman was nowhere to be seen, and all forms of identification had been scraped from the apartment, making it as if he never existed.

Joshua almost cried. Almost. He was nine now, ten in a month or so, and he refused to bawl his eyes out. His father had warned him, and now things were simply following a flow that Josh had not seen, but Gordon had.

It was then that he remembered a phone number, drilled into him as a child with what had seemed like a stern parental tone but in hindsight felt like concern and fear.

Picking up his mobile from his bedside table, gifted to him by his mother, Joshua entered the numbers he thought he'd never see written out and raised the phone to his ear.

It rang twice, precisely, tone a perfect copy of the ringing sound they used in movies.

And then it answered.

"Hello Gordon!"


	2. Pack Your Bags

Josh hadn't expected anyone to answer the number so quickly, and let alone with such cheerful pep. The voice that answered sounded like it belonged to an older man, which caused Josh to pause considering he couldn't think of any old people that his father knew. Gordon worked from home for a tech company, and whenever Joshua had walked in on one of their web meetings, all of Gordon's bosses looked to be in their twenties.

Of course, that was before Gordon's paranoia had hit sky high and he'd quit in a panic-fuelled terror one night.

"H-Hello?" Joshua greeted nervously, unsure of what to say. "My Dad told me to call this number?"

"You're not Gordon," the voice on the other end said very factually. "What's your name, young man?"

He wasn't supposed to give his name out to strangers, but- "Joshua."

There was a silence and Josh almost thought he'd hung up by mistake when the voice came back. "Little Joshie! You're Joshua Freeman!" A joy filled the words, like a grandpa hearing about his beloved nephew. "Your father talked about you!"

"He didn't talk about you..." Joshua answered awkwardly. "He just said to call this number if I needed help, and I need help! My Dad's missing and for the past three years, we've been having people follow us and try to call us and-"

"Now now Josh, I'll need you to be patient! I can tell you everything you'd like to know, but you'll have to come to me, and it'll be very dangerous. Are you sure you're ready for that?" asked the voice on the phone. It wasn't ominous, nor was it overly cautious in its tone. Simply factual, as if laying out the legal grounds for a conversation.

Josh swallowed. "Are the Government gonna come for me?"

"Like a Cowboy on the run!" came the response.

"I'll do it," Josh answered. "Tell me what to do."

Gordon's headset had become buried in the back of his closet after his adventure through Black Mesa. Joshua remembered asking questions about it at the time, but the only response he'd been given by his father was a smile and the words 'it makes me a little nauseous,' before it was all shut away and buried under last year's winter coat.

The instructions given over the phone were easy for Josh to follow. He turned on his father's computer, plugged the headset in as he'd been prompted, and then dug through several proxy folders until he'd found the file titled 'HL:VRAIBUILD1.52'. It had certainly struck Josh as unsettling that the mystery man on the phone knew exactly what folders the file was located in despite the computer being disconnected from the internet more than a month ago, and nobody entering the apartment for another seven before that, but Joshua had more important things to worry about.

"Put on the headset," instructed the man on the phone. "It will make sense."

Joshua narrowed his brows but obeyed, setting down the phone and placing the headset over his eyes.

When the headset was put into place and tightened, Joshua noticed two things.

One: The voice from the phone was talking about something.  
and  
Two: The phone was beeping, signalling that the call had ended.

Both of those things together meant something that Joshua didn't want to believe, but as he gathered his wits and looked around, he realized it might just be true. Right now he was standing in a generic looking office, an office desk and chair in one corner, some filing cabinets lining the walls, and-

And a group of scientists gathered in a corner talking to each other. Joshua looked at them cautiously. "Hello?"

One of them turned, an older man with white hair and a mustache that looked extremely well maintained. "Hello Gor- Joshua!"

The mention of Joshua made the other scientist, a bald man with thick-rimmed glasses, turn to the boy. "Doctor Coomer, are you sure that's him? He doesn't look like Gordon."

"Maybe it's because there's no suit!" chimed the last one, a man who seemed to be rather youthful in appearance, further amplified by the propeller hat on his head. "Mister Freeman did have his suit on."

"Now now Doctor Tommy, Doctor Bubby, I don't think that's an appropriate way to greet our young friend here!" The voice from the phone - Doctor Coomer - approached Joshua, grabbing his hand in a firm handshake.

Joshua felt his hand tingle despite not holding a VR remote. "Uh-"

"Ah yes! You had questions! Come now, we must find out what happened to Gordon!" Coomer smiled and let go of Josh's hand, taking a seat on the floor. Reluctantly, the other two scientists copied, until it was just Josh standing.

Bubby looked up, scowling. "Sit down, you idiot! Or did your father not teach you that? I'd believe it if you told me."

"You can sit next to me if you're nervous," Tommy quickly added, patting the space next to him. Joshua offered a polite smile, instead choosing to sit where he was, letting the three men face him. "Mister Freeman is your Dad, right?"

"And something happened to him?" Bubby followed. "Well, spit it out. Tell us what happened."

Joshua looked to the three of them slowly, rolling the reality of what was happening over his mind. He'd rang a phone number. A voice had answered. A voice that lived in his father's computer. A voice he was now sitting with and having a conversation.

He sighed. "Well... it started after Dad played that game."

His story was told from the start, and the three scientists listened with great interest. Joshua spoke of the subtle changes in his father, and then the more dramatic, chronicling his time both with hindsight on his side and the cluelessness that came with first encounters.

Even when Josh veered off into a side topic, finding himself treating the three men as a means to clear his mind, complaining about ruined birthdays and missing presents, about power bills that stacked up and the constant doorknocking and phonecalls, none of the scientists moved to silence or redirect him. Instead they let him talk until his throat felt raw.

"I just wish we could be playing Cowboys again like we used to..." he finished, voice cracking a little with the weight of his explanation.

Bubby raised a hand to his ear, shooting Tommy a look. The younger man shrugged, unsure of what to do before managing to stutter something out. "I-It's okay Joshua! We're gonna get your Dad back, and then- then- then we're gonna drink so much soda and play cowboys and Team Fortress 2!"

"Tommy's right!" Coomer added, leaning forward to give Josh a pat on the shoulder. It made his skin tingle, and Joshua bit his lip. "We're going to get Gordon back!"

**WOOP WOOP**

**ATTENTION ALL PERSONNEL**

**GORDON FREEMAN HAS BEEN CAPTURED**

**REPORT TO OFFICE IMMEDIATELY FOR MISSION BRIEFING**

The voice rang out loudly in the office, echoing into the hall that Joshua could barely see through the small glazed window on the door. A gentle 'woop' began to sound, distant as red lights began to slowly turn, bathing the office in an ambient glow. "W-What's going on?"

Coomer's face lit up, both with joy and the red light. "Bubby, did the VOX listen to Joshua too?"

Bubby nodded with a grin. "They're very keen on helping."

JOSHUA FREEMAN

YOU WILL BE HELPED

WITH GORDON FREEMAN

"The VOX says that you'll have our full support," Bubby translated, getting to his feet. "It's very excited to be on our side this time."

"Our side?" Joshua asked, standing up. "What do you mean?"

Coomer laughed, as if recalling a fond memory. "The VOX used to tell your father that it wanted to see his Passport."

**PASSPORT INSPECTION**

**JOSHUA FREEMAN**

**WHERE IS YOUR PASSPORT?**

"That's a naughty word in our house," Josh answered.

"What else is a naughty word?" Tommy asked.

Joshua answered promptly. "Fuck."

"Swearing is not allowed. You'll have to pay a Playcoin to progress now," Coomer answered, sounding almost scandalized by the word coming from such a young boy. Tommy twiddled his thumbs together, suddenly uncomfortable with the fact he'd made a child swear.

Bubby simply laughed, speaking in time with the VOX.

**NICE**


	3. Hold Your Breath. Make A Wish. Count To Three.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You might have wanted the hard impact.
> 
> Perhaps it would hurt less.

"Rise and Shine, Mister Freeman. Rise and Shine."

Joshua didn't know he'd closed his eyes. In fact, last he knew he was staring at the rapidly approaching road, wondering if the impact would hurt more than the time he broke his arm. Now, someone was talking to him.

He opened his eyes suddenly, grip tight on his crowbar and phone as he quickly tried to assess the surroundings. He was in a strange black void, completely empty of everything save the older man standing before him. He wore a crisp blue suit and carried a briefcase that looked plain and unassuming.

If Joshua knew anything from the movies he'd watched, that briefcase would be very important later.

"Hello." Manners were important, and Joshua made sure to deploy them, even if he couldn't mask the unease in his voice.

It was the right decision, seeing the smile creep across the stranger's face. "Hello Joshua."

"How do you know my name?" His grip tightened on the crowbar as he raised it slowly, holding it close to himself for reassurance.

The smile was unsettling now, even without changing. "I'm a friend of your father's."

"He didn't mention you."

"He didn't mention them, either." There was something about the way the man spoke that made Josh uncomfortable. As if something was trying hard to be human, but not quite managing to wrap its tongue around the mannerisms and grammatical structure.

For a moment Joshua was confused as to who "them" referred to, but as the stranger stepped forward and tapped a finger against Joshua's phone, the screen lit up.

He had a message waiting from Tommy. Three of them actually. Looking from his phone to the man and then back again, Joshua unlocked his phone and looked at the texts.

Tommy: My dad said he'll help you out!  
Tommy: But don't tell anyone!  
Tommy: It has to be super secret!

Joshua looked up. "You're Tommy's dad?"

"You can... call me Mister Coolatta." Readjusting his tie, Mister Coolatta held out a hand to take the phone from Joshua. "I'm here to help."

Holding the phone closer, Joshua looked at Mister Coolatta suspiciously. "I don't trust you."

Joshua's words made the man laugh, a strange sound that seemed to echo despite the empty space. "You may not trust me," he began, taking the phone from Joshua's hand and fiddling with it for a moment. It glowed a vibrant blue for a moment before being set back into Joshua's hand. "-But don't forget where you are Joshua."

The boy blinked. "I don't know where I am. I just... jumped out a window."

"And your friends said they'd catch you." Mister Coolata grinned. "But they didn't say how."   
Without missing a beat, he continued. "Joshua, can you swim?"

"Yes," Josh answered. He'd been a local champion in his school's swim team.

"I'm afraid I have some conflicting interests Joshua. Your friends asked me to help catch you, but my employers have insisted that I let you go." Dusting a small speck of dirt from his sleeve, Mister Coolatta met Joshua's gaze. "So I came to a compromise."

Joshua opened his mouth to say something, a bubble of air escaping as he did. Chlorine stung his eyes and choked his throat as the black void around him began to blur. Flailing, Joshua reached out, phone almost crushed in his grip as he tried to cry for help. 

Mister Coolatta simply turned and walked away. "Remember to swim, Joshua."

And Joshua did.


	4. Learn To Swim

The deep breath that filled Joshua's lungs quelled a burn that tore through his entire being. He didn't know when he'd closed his eyes, but now they were opened to a bright blue sky, a sight he hadn't seen for a good few days. Gordon preferred it when Joshua stayed inside, and Joshua didn't want to upset his father.

The thought was knocked from his mind as the sky pulled away from him, face sinking below water that stung his eyes and choked his throat. He flailed, breaking the surface once more and hacking up water.

"What-" he coughed, body instinctively beginning to tread water. Despite the sting of chlorine, Joshua managed to look around the space that'd replaced the darkness.

And he was surprised. The flags above the pool had changed with the seasons and the changerooms had a new coat of paint, but he knew this place. It was his old stomping grounds, the swimming pool he'd frequented before his father had become a recluse. He'd stopped attending once Gordon had hidden away in the apartment, and since his mother lived in a different part of the city, he'd ended up having to go somewhere else.

Of course, the nostalgia trip was cut short by the realization that he was treading water in an empty pool while completely clothed, weighed down with a backpack, and clutching a mobile phone. Still breathless from the rather unwelcome teleportation and subsequent submerging, Joshua lazily kicked over to the edge of the pool and hauled himself onto the edge, flopping down onto his side.

His thoughts were scrambled, torn between the memories of the swimming pool he'd found himself in, the fact he was being hunted down by some officials, that he'd ended up talking to the very men who'd caused his father's breakdown, the void and strange man he'd encountered within, and the fact he almost drowned, which left him, rightfully, a little out of sorts.

So he just focused on breathing, trying to even out the burning in his lungs with each breath in and out while rolling the situation around his head. 

Nostalgia could wait. That's one problem sorted.  
There were men hunting him, which meant he had to get up soon. Another problem handled.  
He'd almost drowned. But he'd ultimately survived, and he hadn't been made into a pancake on the street so that was a win in his book. Yet another problem off the list.

He'd spoken to the men who'd gotten his father into this mess, and yet were trusted to protect him. Men who were only contactable through a now-destroyed computer and a phone that'd been underwater.

God, was he alone now?

Exhausted, and now with this realization on his mind, Joshua pulled the phone close. The dark, empty screen stared back at him, catching his reflection; a drowned rat of a boy, hair stuck to his face and clothes that seemed to have soaked up the pool itself. He looked awful, pitiful, and deep in his chest, Joshua knew this was only going to be the start.

He almost cried but bit his lip and ignored the chemical taste on his tongue.

His reflection didn't gaze at him forever. As his breathing evened out, the screen lit up, showing the lock screen. His father's grinning face looked back at him, a picture taken in their apartment on Joshua's eighth birthday. Despite the circles under his eyes and the paleness of his skin, brought on by lack of sun and mild insomnia. Overlayed across the bridge of his father's nose however was a notification from "The Science Team Escapes The Bootlickers", simply containing the words "Don't cry."

"M'not crying," Joshua answered, voice quiet as he unlocked the phone. His father's face vanished, replaced by a group chat that was waiting for him.

Tommy: Now we can talk to Joshua  
Coomer: Excellent!   
Bubby: He'll look like all those other kids with their faces in their phones. Not at all out of place.  
Benry: he looks sad  
Forzen: You think so man?  
Darnold: I'm working on getting the camera feeds live. We'll be able to see him!  
Tommy: Can you craft potions in here?  
Darnold: I'm making them in the 'Notes' application.  
Benry: nice  
Forzen: Don't cry Joshua.  
Forzen: Don't cry.

There was nothing after that, and Joshua assumed they were all waiting for him to respond. He reached a hand over to the slightly damp screen, struggling to type given his fingers still being wet.

Joshua: I don't cry. I'm a big kid  
Joshua: I'm almost ten

A moment of silence, followed by the vibration of his phone.

Coomer: A very big kid!

Joshua smiled, slowly sitting himself up. His phone was still working, and the Science Team was there to help him. The water hadn't ruined his phone.

But his bag.

Quickly, Joshua took off the bag, pulling it into his lap. The outside of it was soaked, and his heart sat in his throat as he unzipped it, ready to be faced with useless money and drenched clothes.

But inside was pristine, dry as a bone. Even the jar of change hadn't cracked from his ordeal, which was good considering Joshua didn't know how to handle broken glass by himself yet.

It indirectly led to another realization, one that was equally as important to find an answer to.

"The crowbar!" Joshua got to his feet and span in place, trying to find where he'd dropped it. "Where'd-"

The phone in his hand vibrated. He didn't look to it, instead trying to scan the pool for the shape of a crowbar. A couple more messages came through although he didn't look at them, still trying to find the weapon. "Where's the crowbar!"

Panic began to mount in his chest. If he didn't have a weapon, then-

A hand settled on his shoulder from behind, startling him. Joshua turned sharply, only to find empty space. His foot nudged something, and as he looked down, he found the familiar S-shape of the crowbar.

Another buzz from his phone. Joshua unlocked it and looked, unsure of what the others had to say.

Coomer: You had it when you jumped out the window.  
VOX: JOSHUA GO OUTSIDE  
Bubby: Yes, you went out the window and then you were in the pool. Which is strange, but not the strangest thing that's happened.  
Benry: oh yo you saw that dude he musta saved you  
Bubby: There it is, on the floor.  
Coomer: Good work Joshua, you found the Crowbar! Now we can fight the Military.

Joshua smiled, picking up the crowbar. It was reassuring in his hand, a comfort in such troubling times. He held it tight as he slipped his backpack on, trying to gather his thoughts.

His phone buzzed.  
VOX: JOSHUA. RUN.

Narrowing his gaze, Joshua looked at the message. Run? Where? Why?

Darnold: Jump the fence, behind the water slides!  
VOX: MILITARY APPROACHING. LETHAL FORCE AUTHORIZED.  
Coomer: The VOX is right, Joshua!

Still out of breath from almost drowning and the fear of losing his crowbar, Joshua looked around frantically. The place was relatively empty, with only a small class of children learning in the shallow pool some decent way off. Towards the front of the grounds though, Joshua could see one of the staff talking to someone, their bright blue shirt a contrast to the dark suits of the men looking for him.

Bubby: Joshua, run! Rush it! Rush it!

He didn't see the message, but he did feel the phone in his hand. Joshua took a step backwards, mind reeling. One of the suited men looked at him, eyes sharp. They said something, tapping the shoulder of the guy talking to the pool staff.

The water slides were on the other side of the park, a direct line from where Joshua was standing.

Again the phone vibrated, but this time more rhythmically. It pulsed, and Joshua raised it to his ear mechanically, eyes still locked on the man staring at him from the entrance.

A voice came through, low and amused. A voice that had spoken to him in darkness and dropped him into a pool and yet saved him once before.

"Run, Joshua."

He turned sharp on his heel and ran.


	5. Rolling Thunder and Aching Bones

Running around the pool was something Joshua knew he wasn't meant to do. He'd been swimming long enough to have it drilled into his head, and he'd seen his dad fall over when trying to sprint to the canteen for a drink.

But right now he didn't care. There were men in suits chasing him, and the danger posed by slippery floors was far less than whatever they were going to invoke once they caught him, or so he assumed.

Joshua gripped his phone hard as he rounded the corner of the pool. A part of his mind thought he might break it, but that part was overshadowed by the much louder part screaming at him to run, to make sure he didn't drop his bag or his crowbar or his phone. A death sentence waiting to happen, should he do so.

Across the pool, he could hear the suited men calling. They broke into two groups, three unarmed men running around the pool Joshua had fallen in and rounding the children's pool, while two men holding pistols rounded the other side of the pool, passing the sauna building.

The pulsing of the phone spurred Joshua onwards, wet shoes squelching and slipping on the tile ground. With each step the chainlink fence grew closer, and with that closeness it grew taller. By the time he collided with it, the fence was twice his height. "Oh no!"

His pursuers hadn't yet arrived, but they were making headway and fast. Joshua heard one of the suited men fall over with a "whoa!" followed by a splash, but he didn't take time to revel in it, instead looking desperately to his phone for advice.

Tommy: Climb!  
VOX: CLIMB. ASCEND.

It was his only choice. He had to climb.

Joshua wasn't great at many sports. Sure, he could swim well, but that was about pushing yourself through water. It kept you buoyant and combated the effects of gravity to a degree. When it came to running, he got tired easily, and trying to do pull-ups for gym class was a nightmare.

But now he had adrenaline in him, and adrenaline makes you do strange things.

Like loft your phone over the fence. It sailed in a clean arc, followed by the crowbar. Without any grace, the phone landed screen up on the concrete outside the fence. The crowbar slammed into it just a moment later, prongs landing on the screen with a clunk. Joshua didn't get a look at it, nor did he register the sound, already busy in hauling himself up the chainlink fence, fingers hooked around the thin twisted metal.

It bent slightly under his weight, not being properly fitted to the metal poles that served as supports, but Joshua didn't let it stop him. He did his best to slot his shoes into the small gaps, getting some kind of footing. 

"Don't let him go!" called a voice behind him, causing Joshua to pause at the top of the fence, one arm swung over the top. His pursuers were just passing the slides now, weapons at the ready. They were all uniform, no little features to tell them apart which only scared Josh more.

With panic, he swung his other arm over the fence, clawing at the metal in some attempt to lever himself over the top and let him swing a leg over.

His phone began to vibrate, the default ringtone acting as the soundtrack to his fear. Joshua swung his leg over the top, finally managing to shift his weight all the way over just as the suited men reached the fence, a hand narrowly missing his ankle as he swung his other leg over the fence to join the rest of him.

Of course, the shift of weight sent him onto the ground with a groan of pain. His ringtone stopped, phone seemingly answering itself and changing to loudspeaker.

"Yo, Joshie," came Benry's voice, as loud and panicked as it could be, which was just slightly above a monotone. "Grab the phone."

Joshua struggled to process the command, mind caught between the pain he was in and the men now starting to scale the fence. They were built for this, and were having far less trouble. It took another "Joshie" from Benry, but he managed to scrabble over and grab it, knocking his crowbar away with the action.

"Good job Joshua," Doctor Coomer praised, the warmth in his tone doing nothing for Joshua right now. "Now, if you remember that phones-"

"Throw the phone at the fence!" Darnold shouted, overpowering Coomer's long-winded spiel. 

Joshua obeyed, flinging the phone at the fence with a power that would have impressed him had he been in the right mindset.

He might not have been in the right frame of mind to appreciate the skilled throw, but he could understand the events as they unfolded before him, even if he'd need to process them individually later.

His phone flew towards the chainlink fence. A battlecry seemed to emanate from it, a mix of Coomer, Bubby, Forzen, and the VOX. At the same time, it began to spark, white electricity encircling it like an aura.

The suited men were halfway up the fence when the phone made contact with it. A burst of power washed through it, lighting up the area like a floodlight. Screams filled the air, the few bodies touching the fence all convulsing.

Joshua stared blankly, unable to react. His jaw was slack, and as the phone thumped to the concrete below the fence, the energy discharged, leaving only the slumped form of the suited men weakly clinging to the fence. One of them dropped to the floor, while the few who hadn't tried scaling the fence simply stared.

"JOSHUA. GO."

The VOX startled Joshua, making him jump. He rolled onto his side, ignoring the pain in his shoulder as he grabbed his crowbar and forced himself to stand. With his pursuers out of commission, Joshua lunged for the phone, sweeping it up and backpedaling. It vibrated in his hand, but he ignored it as he sprinted into surrounding trees, eager to escape.

He ran until his lungs burned and his legs ached, and then he continued running. The phone in Josh's hand continued to vibrate, but it wasn't until he was on a street he didn't recognize the name of that he paused to look at the string of messages he'd been sent.

Coomer: Joshua runs very fast.  
Bubby: Don't let those boot boys catch you  
Tommy: I don't think he can see us right now  
Coomer: That's because he is running!  
Bubby: Kids can multitask.  
Benry: The palm of his hand looks mad sweaty  
Forzen: Stop looking at his palm  
Darnold: Are you looking to get palm scans?  
Forzen: Identity theft  
Tommy: You can't steal his identity, that's illegal!  
Benry: I don't break the law  
Benry: I make the law  
Coomer: Bippy is a law man!  
Coomer: We'll have to kill him! Again!  
VOX: MURDER. GOOD.  
Darnold: I think he's stopped running.  
Bubby: Joshua wants to murder!  
Forzen: I mean fair  
Benry: Unpog  
Benry: Reverse pog

Joshua didn't entirely understand what they were talking about, but he needed a moment to breathe. Slumped against a nearby building, he began to text.

Joshua: My legs hurt  
Darnold: You should sit down somewhere.  
Coomer: I believe you should visit a 'Rest-a-rant'.  
Bubby: We'll find somewhere. Give us a minute.

He nodded weakly, sinking to the ground and trying to catch his breath. His heart thundered in his chest as the weight of everything began to sink in. His father was missing. He couldn't go home. Men in Suits were hunting him down like in all those action movies he'd watch with his dad during those years of reclusiveness. He had nobody to help him but the men living in his phone, who seemed more occupied with talking to each other or making problems.

Now he was lost, tired, sore, and hungry. Joshua felt like he could just break down right here.

His phone vibrated, interrupting his self-reflection. Joshua looked to it, resting his chin on his knees.

Bubby: We found somewhere to eat. On your feet.  
Coomer: Or your hands, if you can walk that way, although I don't believe you are a gymnast!  
Darnold: It's not far, I know it hurts to walk.  
Bubby: Don't baby him, he can do it.  
Bubby: Go on, walk!  
Forzen: He's tired bro  
Benry: Sleepy little Joshua  
Forzen: Wants bed  
Benry: Wants to snooze

They continued rambling, interrupted only by a message from Darnold containing a small map to the restaurant. 

Forzen: A warm bed with blankets  
Darnold: Here's some directions.  
Coomer: Won't the boot boys find us?  
Tommy: No, we're safe :)  
Benry: Snoozing on the job, just like his dad  
Forzen: He would

Joshua didn't know what they were talking about, but clicking the link Darnold had given him showed a small map of the area, along with the directions needed to get to-

"Chuck E. Cheese?" Joshua asked aloud. "That's the restaurant?"

His phone vibrated.  
Tommy: Did you call Chuck E. Cheese a restaurant? Did you :)

It was going to be a long walk.


	6. Restaurant? Family Entertainment Center? Respite?

The walk itself to Chuck E. Cheese was only ten minutes, but it felt longer with the speed his phone was vibrating, a barrage of messages that Joshua couldn't keep up with. Considering the Science Team were all AI, they could read at the processing speed of a normal computer, which meant they could also type at the speed of a computer.

As a result, Joshua was watching ten messages fly by per second, all walls of text with emoticons littered around, along with screenshots pulled from god-knows-where.

By the time Joshua had made it to the doors of the building, the argument had shifted to whether Cereal was a Soup, whether Water was Wet, who would win in a battle of 1 Million Lions versus the Sun, and then back to Chuck E. Cheese.

Tommy: No!!!! You go to Chuck E. Cheese for the arcade machines! Food is a bonus!  
Joshua: I'm going to escape the boot boys

Typing out his reply, Joshua pushed open the doors. Immediately a wave of noise washed over him, overwhelming. Arcade machines blared, mixed with the general chatter of people, occasionally punctuated by a child's delighted scream.

Still damp from his adventures in the pool, Joshua strolled towards the dining area, trying to seem as inconspicuous as possible.

"-Excuse me, little boy?"

Well, there went that attempt. Joshua turned to look at the staff member, a young woman with long blonde hair. She looked friendly, and he could see "Mari" written on her nametag. 

Joshua tried to smile. "Hello Miss."

"Is your Mom or Dad around?" Mari asked, voice polite and gentle. "I can't let you in here without an adult."

"Uh..." Joshua floundered, trying to think of something to say. His phone vibrated again and he ignored it, fully expecting another barrage about the four different things that were qualified to have food inside them. It was only when the pulsing became more rhythmic that Joshua recognized it as a phone call. "Hold on."

He pulled out the phone and answered. "Hello?"

"Joshua! Hey buddy, throw me on speaker!" Darnold's voice came through the phone, but there was something different about it. He was incredibly composed, as if trying very hard to keep himself together and not falter in his speech.

Obeying, Joshua set the phone on speaker. "Uh... you're on speaker."

"Hello! I'm Joshua's Dad!" Darnold spoke confidently, and Joshua struggled not to let his surprise show. "I'm running late, but I have a table booked! Could you let Joshua in for me? We're booked under 'Pepper'."

Mari frowned in thought, checking the computer system as she did. Sure enough, there was a booking for Pepper, located right in front of the stage.

"I guess I can let you in..." Mari answered reluctantly. "But your Dad has to show up soon, okay?"

"I'll do my best, but traffic is pretty bad," Darnold said from the phone, words punctuated by a beeping horn. "I'll see you soon Joshie."

"Yeah, see you soon..." Joshua ended the call, forcing a smile at the lady. "Sorry."

With a shake of her head, Mari gestured for Joshua to go in. "The table right in front of the stage," she said before turning to attend the next family that'd shown up. Joshua simply nodded, quickly weaving through the myriad of arcade machines and tables to take a seat.

The tables were mostly empty, only a small booth being occupied by two tired parents. Joshua grabbed a chair, pulling it out before sinking into the seat, still damp but in one piece.

He turned his head, looking at the animatronics on the stage. Joshua had never been fond of them, and Gordon had often made fun of them.

One of them, Mr Munch, shuddered to life, making Joshua sit bolt upright. It twisted behind the keyboard, looking left to right, and then at Joshua.

"What's up kid," greeted the robot, using Forzen's voice. "You want a pizza or something?"

Joshua's face scrunched up in a mix of disbelief, anger, and exhaustion. Another animatronic stirred to life, Jasper T. Jowls whirring for a moment before also looking to Joshua. "Ah, Hello Joshua!"

At the drums, Pasqually stirred, and then Helen Henny, the lead vocalist. Joshua could only stare as they both began to speak.

"This robot sucks," Pasqually said with a voice similar to Bubby's own.

Helen spoke with irritation. "ROBOT SING BAD. WANT BETTER SINGER."

Exhausted, damp, and hungry, Joshua laughed. "Yeah, she's not good."

Nobody seemed to notice that the animatronics on the stage were moving, or that they were speaking so unlike themselves.

Then again, nobody had thought to question Joshua's crowbar, his large backpack that hinted at more than just a trip to the local restaurant, and his damp visage.

With Doctor Coomer, the VOX, Bubby, and Forzen currently occupying the stage, it left Darnold, Tommy, and Benry to occupy the phone. Even with the reduced amount of AI, it didn't stop the intense vibration of messages currently assaulting their chatroom.

"I'm hungry." Joshua said, stretching his arms across the table. "I want a pizza."

"We're in a restaurant!" Bubby announced, causing Joshua's phone to vibrate at the highest frequency it could. "Yes, it's a restaurant and an entertainment center Tommy, don't-"

"PIZZA. COMING. EAT." The VOX's voice cut through Bubby's rambling, making Joshua tilt his head. "WHAT TYPE. FOR EATING."

"Uhhh, Pineapple?" Joshua asked.

There was a silence. The phone stopped vibrating. The argument paused.

"PINEAPPLE PIZZA. ORDERED. COMING IN TEN."

The room eruped in conversation.

The members of the Science Team who were currently inhabiting the animatronics were still connected to the chat room on Joshua's phone. It was this fact that spurred the intense conversation about the status of pineapple on pizza, growing so loud that a staff member approached, brows furrowed as they forced the animatronics to reboot, in turn sending the Science Team back to the phone.

Darnold: IT'S JUST NOT RIGHT.  
Coomer: The pineapple (Ananas comosus) is a tropical plant with an edible fruit and the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been-  
Coomer: It seems there is a character limit  
Tommy: Oh no!  
Forzen: Good  
Benry: Good  
VOX: GOOD.

"Dad thought it was fine," he mumbled into the phone, ignoring the responses as a small pineapple pizza was delivered to his table.

"Excuse me," the staff member began, getting Joshua's attention. He read their nametag, Mark, and tried to ignore it. "Are you here alone?"

Joshua forced a smile. "My daddy is coming soon," he answered, trying to hide the crowbar and his backpack from sight. "He's running late."

Mark smiled, although there was concern there too. "If he doesn't come soon, you let us know, okay? We'll find out where he is."

They wouldn't, Joshua thought to himself in a moment of pessimism. Nobody knew where he was right now.

Except maybe the Science Team, but asking them right now...

VOX: PINEAPPLE GOOD.  
Bubby: No.  
VOX: DIE.

...That wasn't going to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like pineapple pizza don't @ me


	7. 8-Ball Battles and Bathroom Breaks

The pizza was fine, delicious even, despite it being a Chuck E. Cheese pizza. It was the only thing Joshua had eaten today, and he forced himself to finish it despite his small appetite.

The free soda refills were something though, and Joshua mowed through cup after cup, fingers nimbly texting the Science Team as he did.

Joshua: Dr Pepper tastes okay. Sunkist is kinda nice  
Tommy: My dog is named Sunkist!  
Darnold: Dr Pepper is great you take that back  
Forzen: I don't like it  
Darnold: Those are fighting words  
Forzen: Whatcha gonna do? Hit me?  
Darnold: Bring it punk  
[DARNOLD HAS CHALLENGED FORZEN TO 8-BALL]  
Benry: Yo that's real man's shit

Joshua clicked the 8-Ball notification, watching as his phone displayed the image of a snooker table, surrounded by a group of men that he recognized from the VR headset. Darnold and Forzen held pool cues, ready to play while the rest of the Science Team quietly spoke to each other, messages appearing in the top of the screen as an in-game chat.

Benry: This gon get good  
VOX: CHAT. ARCHIVED.  
Bubby: Yeah yeah, we're saving it.

Their chatting continued and Joshua busied himself with his meal, mid-bite in a pizza slice when something made him stop.

"Oh, are you here for Joshua?"

Joshua stopped, jaw slack as he turned sharply, looking at Mari. She was standing at the counter, looking cheerfully at two suited men.

"Shit!" Joshua cursed softly, grabbing his backpack and crowbar. "Help!"

The 8-Ball game stopped and the animatronics gently whirred, subtly. The Science Team were split again between phone and Chuck E. Cheese band.

A vibration shook Joshua's phone, and he raised it to his ear slowly. "Yeah?"

"Run." Benry's voice came through serious and low. He paused for a moment, then spoke again. "Go to the bathroom. There's a window above the sinks."

Nodding, Joshua slowly crept away from the table, ducking low. He opened the door slowly, slipping through and pushing it shut. The suited men hadn't moved from the entrance yet, but he knew he didn't have much time.

"Josh." Benry had stopped speaking, replaced with Bubby who had returned to the phone along with the others. "You'll need to stand on the sink."

"But that's not safe!" Tommy cut in. "You could fall and crack your head and-"

It sounded like there was some shoving, as if pushing someone out of the way of the phone. "Push the bag through first." Forzen spoke confidently, and Joshua listened, clambering up onto the sink. It was a simple standing sink, not set into a bar alongside others, making it more difficult to get stable.

"Put the phone on the window ledge," Forzen continued. "You'll need two hands to push the bag through, and the crowbar."

Joshua obeyed, setting the phone down and getting to work on opening the window. It was small, but not small enough to stop Joshua escaping. "Have you done this before?" he asked, managing to push the window open enough to start getting the bag through.

"I'm a soldier, it's my job. We did this for training all the time." Forzen sounded proud, as if he was puffing out his chest. "This is nothing, one time I was doing a three mile hike-"

"Bro what? That wasn't three miles." Benry joined in the conversation, cutting Forzen off. "That was like, one hundred meters."

"You don't know how measument works. You think you're eighty foot tall." Forzen's response was exhausted, as if he'd had the conversation a million times before. Joshua couldn't help but giggle, pushing his crowbar through. "You're like, six foot."

"You uh, you never went to Xen, did you?" Benry asked.

"Oh!" Doctor Coomer seemed to push himself to the front of the group. "Benry was indeed very tall! He also attempted to kill us several times!"

Halfway through lifting his knee towards the ledge, Joshua paused. "Benry did that?"

"Oh yes, as did Forzen! They both tried to kill us several times. Your father included! Why once Benry and our dear Bubby cut off Gordon's hand! Of course that didn't translate into the real world, but it was quite the bonding experience!"

"Bonding for Bubby and Benry!" Tommy added, sounding distant. "Mister Freeman wasn't very happy after that!"

"He's never happy," Benry answered simply.

Quietly, Joshua agreed. "No. He's not."

A silence overtook them, only punctuated by the soft grunt of effort as Joshua tried to heave himself up through the window. Forzen offered advice, voice soft as he tried to guide Joshua into the best position to haul himself onto the thin windowsill.

"You've got a soft spot," Benry teased as Joshua jumped, just managing to hook his knee onto the sill, hands desperately gripping at the window frame to stop him falling backwards.

"Shut up," Forzen grumbled, "I don't- Josh, move your hand up a bit more for leverage." Gone was his irritation, replaced with a fondness.

The Science Team snickered, voices drowned out by several challenges for 8-Ball, sent out by Forzen himself. Joshua ignored it, pulling his other knee up onto the windowsill. 

Grabbing his phone, he pointed the camera out the window and towards the floor. "Oh."

Beneath the window was a small pile of unkempt bushes. "Do I just jump out?"

"Well," Darnold began, "You could risk landing on the bushes for cushioning, but it might end up hurting you."

"JUMP. LAND. GROUND." The VOX suggested. Joshua frowned, weighing up his options. His phone vibrated as Forzen tried to balance his myriad of 8-Ball games, a mild distraction to his thoughts. "ROLL WHEN LAND. TUCK HEAD."

Benry added his two cents, the sound of snooker balls clacking around in the background. "You gotta land on your feet and then straight into a roll. Like Nathan Drake. Get uh, get all Lara Croft in here. Climb a bathroom window. Jump onto the ground. Rob a store. Fight a T-Rex."

"Lara Croft didn't- She didn't fight a T-Rex!" Tommy cut in. "No way!"

"She did," Benry answered, fully ready to launch into a rant about Lara Croft's adventures in annihilating the last member of the Dinosaur Era when the bathroom door slammed open, silencing them all.

Joshua stared at the door.

The suited men stared back.

A phantom sensation pushed against Joshua's back, sending him leaping out the window.

It was the second time today he'd jumped out of a window, and at this rate, he'd become an expert. The fall wasn't far, but it sure felt like it, world slowing for a moment before speeding up as Joshua's legs made contact with the floor.

"ROLL." The VOX's voice was firm and Joshua obeyed, knees bending as he pushed himself forward, carrying the momentum. There was a curse from the bathroom, and Joshua forced himself to his feet, grabbing his crowbar and backpack before starting a mad dash.

Bubby cursed. "I sunk the white."

"The game can wait, Bubby! We have a bicycle to steal!" Coomer cheerfully announced.

Joshua skidded to a halt, shoes sliding on the grass. "A bike?"

"A bicycle, also called a bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-powered, pedal-driven, single-track-"

"There!" Bubby's voice was loud as Joshua's phone pinged, getting his attention. It was a streetview image of a skatepark, and as Joshua looked up, he noticed it was the exact same park across from the Chuck E. Cheese. "They have to have a bike."

"Yooo, we makin' little Josh steal?" Benry perked up at the prospect of theft. "You gotta- Can't be making a thief outta the boy. Kid's doing crimes."

"B-But we're already doing a crime, Benry!" Tommy interrupted, completely ignored by Joshua as he began a mad dash across the street, desperately trying to spot the skatepark. It'd been a while since he'd been to this area, but he remembered watching the skaters as a kid, and his dad bragging that he used to do "sick BMX tricks" all day long.

Once Joshua had asked Gordon to prove it. Gordon had borrowed some twelve year old's bike and pulled off a perfect double backflip, letting go of the handlebars mid jump.

That'd been two weeks before Gordon met the Science Team. Joshua had never seen the trick again.

The thought was shoved from his mind, legs burning as he forced himself across the soft grass to the skatepark. He could hear shouting behind him, distant but approaching, spurring him onwards.

From his phone, the Science Team rattled away about nothing, filling the air with nonsense as grass gave way to hard concrete. 

A gentle silence had fallen over the skatepark, with most of the occupants currently in the skatebowl, discussing something about the latest Halo multiplayer update. Joshua spotted a unattended, beaten up BMX, spraypainted black and covered in stickers.

He sighed.

Joshua was about to steal his very first bike, and the Science Team were excited.

Holding their tongues, the Science Team waited with nervous anticipation as Joshua roughly grabbed the handles, pulling the bike up onto its wheels and swinging a leg over the seat, resting it on the pedal.

In the skatebowl below, one of the kids turned away from his friend. "Hey! Hey, that's my bike!" he shouted, startling Joshua and causing him to lock up, grip tightening on both the crowbar and his phone.

The men in suits were approaching, voices growing louder as they left the Chuck E. Cheese behind them. "Gun it Joshua!" Darnold shouted with a somewhat manic excitement so removed from his normal range.

"Go!" Bubby joined in, his grin audible in his tone.

"Cheese it!" Forzen and Benry's voices melded together, knocking Joshua out of his surprise. Putting in some effort, he pushed down on the pedal, pulling up his other foot as the bike began to surge forward. As it started to roll, he reached behind him to slot the crowbar in the two straps of his backpack, feeling the cold metal rest against his tailbone. His phone was pressed against the rubber handgrips as he clung to the handlebars, desperation taking over.

Joshua rode until the voices of the suited men and the boys from the skatepark became nothing.

And then he rode some more.


	8. You Never Forget How To Ride A Bike

At first, Joshua was riding with nowhere in mind. His only goal was to evade capture, and the Science Team aided as best they could. They looked at his map, at nearby traffic intersections and speeding cameras, eyes on CCTV footage in attempts to make sure Joshua wasn't spotted.

And when they'd been certain that they'd shaken the suited men for the moment, Doctor Coomer spoke up.

"Joshua?"

He raised the phone to his ear, keeping the bike steady with his other hand. "Yeah?"

There was a moment of silence, as if Coomer was trying to work out what to say. "Are you feeling tired?"

The question caught Joshua off-guard. He was _exhausted_ , but between the adrenaline, the panic, and the fear, he'd pushed it all aside. Now, his feet felt like lead on the bike pedals. "Yeah. Yeah, I am."

"We've found a motel for you! At this rate, you'll arrive in two hours!"

Joshua turned the bike, letting his back tyre swing out and bring him skidding to a halt. "Two hours?!"

Coomer hummed to himself. "At this rate, you'll arrive in three hours! At this rate, you'll-"

He was silenced, presumably by a hand over his mouth as Benry's voice overtook the speaker. "The Black Mesa dudes, they didn't put a lot- Put all that cool accurate information. Whuh- Truth based in fiction or whatever Tommy says."

Tommy's voice was distant. "I never said that!"

The eyeroll on Benry's end was audible. Joshua didn't think eyeballs were meant to make that sound. A small wave of nausea washed over him momentarily. "Anyway s'uh, we all chatted, had a little mother's meeting, Black Mesa Anonymous, worked out where Feetman went."

"Feetman?" Joshua asked.

Benry refused to elaborate. "Yeah. S'what I said. Black Mesa, big place, kinda obscure. It's near Texas, towards the New Mexico border or something."

"I have to pedal all the way to Texas?!"

"Not all the way, just said that. Jeez, not good at listening." Benry began to grumble to himself, becoming distant as he was pulled away from the speaker. Joshua just sighed, pulling the phone away from his ear and looking at the screen.

In all that chaos, he hadn't lost a single percent of battery. He still sat at a nice 87% charge, and not a single percent less. "Weird."

"What is?" Tommy asked, having tagged in to be Joshua's companion. Joshua tapped on the screen, clicking a link that Forzen had posted. It opened up into a map, charting the long road he'd have to be riding down for the next two hours.

"My phone isn't dead," came the answer as Joshua forced himself to push on the pedals, feet sore and aching. He held the phone against the handlebars again, trying to hear Tommy over the wind. "It should be."

"The world works in mysterious ways, Joshua! Maybe- I mean, it's-" Stumbling over himself, Tommy failed to elaborate, trailing off into silence.

Exhausted, Joshua brought the phone to his ear. "Science Team?"

On the other end of the phone, or perhaps on the other side of the screen, the Science Team gathered together, quietly murmuring. Bubby took the lead. "Yeah kid?"

"Can you tell me..." He paused. "Is 'Nightmare before Christmas' a Halloween movie or a Christmas movie? And 'Die Hard'. Does that count?"

The phone exploded with noise and Joshua smiled.

"You can't keep challenging everyone to 8-Ball when they disagree with you!"

"I just did! Check your notifications!"

Tommy and Forzen's voices were loud, filling the empty highway air. The motel was another half hour's ride, but it was mostly downhill, which made Joshua's life easier.

The discussion of Nightmare before Christmas, Die Hard, and their subsequent places as holiday movies didn't last long, but it did open the floodgates for the idea of Home Alone as a Christmas movie, and then to the ethics of Home Alone, in which everyone decided Kevin McCallister was a Chaotic Neutral character. 

Partway through that conversation, Joshua had started talking about life with Gordon since the game had ended. He talked about how he'd gone from shared custody to staying solely with Gordon, despite how much his mother and stepfather argued against it. 

At first it'd been because he loved his dad, and when he was scared, Gordon was there for him. So, in return, he wanted to be there for his dad. After a while though, it felt like an obligation. Gordon jumped at every sound, hid from everything, did all he could to not be known by others, and the only way he'd managed to stay alive was with Joshua middle-manning for all of reality.

Even the small outings Joshua made, mainly to school and back, sparked an anxiety in both himself and his father. One of the last phonecalls Gordon made was to ask for Joshua's work to be sent to their house in a big bundle, claiming that he'd teach it all to him.

To his credit, he did end up teaching Joshua everything the school wanted him to learn and more.

The Science Team had listened peacefully, letting Joshua tell his story, although they did have a moment of laughter when Joshua mentioned Gordon's crowbar and how he carried it around the apartment with him on bad days.

Of course, that'd started an argument over whether a crowbar would be an efficient tool in day-to-day indoor life, in which Benry suggested using a crowbar to open the fridge, and Forzen argued the crowbar could grab your towel while you were in the shower.

It'd been the VOX of all people who disagreed.

"TEN. NOTIFICATIONS. CANNOT PLAY FAST." The VOX complained, much to Forzen's annoyance. They continued to argue while Joshua checked the map. Still a straight line to the motel.

"When's it your turn to push the bike?" Joshua asked, taking his feet off the pedals for a moment and letting the momentum carry him forward. "I'm tired."

Bubby answered. "We're not corporeal, dumbass!"

"You can't call a child a dumbass!" Darnold interrupted. "It's not right!"

And there started another argument. Joshua just shook his head, listening to the two different arguments overlap, picking out random words from each of them. It was nice. It'd been so long since he'd heard people talking that weren't the television, or his father muttering to himself.

Nice, if not a bit overwhelming. He subtly bumped the volume buttons on his phone to turn down their conversation.

The Science Team noticed, but were polite enough to say nothing.

"Is that a hill?"

Joshua brought the bike to a stop, making sure he was out of the way of traffic. There was the crest of a hill ahead, and Joshua wasn't sure what was on the other side.

The arguing in his phone stopped, and Joshua turned up the volume as Tommy began to talk. "-Downwards slope all the way to the motel!"

"Wait. It's straight to the motel?" He'd missed the first half, but Joshua could put it together.

"It- Yup! Like a waterslide, straight into the pool!"

For a moment Joshua was silent, then-

"What if I just went down without brakes?"

His phone exploded with a cacophony of noise. "Do it!" cheered Bubby, Benry, Darnold, and the VOX. "Don't!" shouted Forzen and Tommy.

Coomer simply yelled out for Joshua to "do a sick trick" as he went down.

"Peer pressure!" he shouted, gripping the handlebars tightly as he pedalled up the slight incline. There was a myriad of hooting and hollering from his phone and Joshua paused for a moment longer, just to shift his phone so the inward camera caught his face, and the outward camera could see the road. "Science Team, ho!"

He pushed the bike over the slope.

"Science Team ho!" came the resounding cry.

Joshua remembered when Gordon had taught him to ride a bicycle. He'd wobbled a bit when the wheels came off the sides, but soon enough, he was speeding around like he owned the place. Gordon had laughed, sitting on his own bike.

"You call that fast? Let me show you something." He'd patted the back of his bike and Joshua had abandoned his own in favour of clambering up, wrapping his arms around his father's middle. "Hold on kid."

It'd taken a moment to get started, but soon Gordon was off, pedalling hard and sending them flying down the streets of their hometown. Joshua remembered the wind in his hair, how it stung his eyes as he peered past his dad, yet he couldn't look away, grinning as the world zoomed towards him, and then past him.

Right now, Joshua felt the exact same way, except his father wasn't there to protect him from the wind that stung at him, or to guide him with confidence and reassurances.

There was only the forces of gravity propelling him downwards, the threat of danger, and the excited screams of the Science Team.

Joshua gripped the bike tightly, leaning in as it built up speed, sending him careening down the road at a speed he'd never be able to achieve on his own. His front wheel wobbled slightly and he rushed to correct it.

_"Don't snap it back into place, if it wants you to weave a little, go with it,"_ his father had said once. Joshua found it leaping to mind as he leaned with the wobble, letting the bike gently sway to the left, and then back into the center of the road like he'd wanted.

_"That's my boy! You're a natural!"_

His eyes were stinging, tears at the corners being blown back across his face, but if it was the sharp and cutting wind, or the memory of a voice he couldn't quite remember, Joshua didn't know.

He took a lungful of air and shouted, in fear and mourning and excitement and just to make a sound.

The Science Team shouted with him, a cacophony on the highway for nobody but them to hear.


	9. Storm in a Bottle, Open it Above The Sea. Let The Waves it Makes Wash Away Your Sorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning for Joshua having some wounds, I guess. Going cross country when you're nine in some shitty sneakers doesn't do your feet well.
> 
> Also Joshua gets catharsis momence

The road leveled out, but Joshua's momentum did not lessen. Like being shot from a cannon, Joshua rocketed along the smooth road, hooting and hollering along with the Science Team. Ahead of him, the barren roadside transitioned into buildings, houses and shops interspersed, and then growing closer together.

Friction eventually got to the bicycle. Without the slope to keep building momentum, Joshua began to slow, finally having to start pedalling again as the buildings around him all crowded together.

"At this rate, we'll reach the motel in two minutes!" Coomer chimed, interrupting their excited shouts. Joshua grinned, letting out one last victory whoop before falling silent, the Science Team's shouts becoming quieter but still prominent. "I hope you're ready for a rest!"

"What if I'm not?" Joshua teased. He'd been riding for two hours, and on the run for longer. The sun was starting to set, and Joshua wanted nothing more than to sit down on something soft and sleep for three days.

Coomer's voice dropped low. **"Be Ready."**

Joshua swallowed. "I'm- I'm ready."

A handful of cars lined the motel's parking lot. Joshua had never been to a motel before, but he recognized it on sight, having the concept of one burned into his mind from the movies he watched day in and day out.

He rode the bike into the center of the parking lot, looking at the building. It was U-Shaped, with a ground floor and a first floor, all packed full of tiny rooms that probably stank of mothballs and the smell of hundreds of people that had permeated the walls over the years.

Joshua lifted the phone, letting the camera catch some of the building. "We made it."

"Congratulations buddy!" Darnold said, sounding extremely chipper. "You've made it to the motel, which is one step in the right direction, and also one more step towards a painful death. I do not envy you!"

"Yo, don't scare the kid." Benry's voice was soft yet scolding. "S'not gonna be a painful death."

"Not helping," Bubby grumbled, silencing the two of them. "Head to room 15, on the ground floor."

Joshua turned his head, trying to scan for rooms. "Don't I have to check in?"

"Checking in at a Motel is an integral part of engaging in Motel facilities. The act of Checking In-"

Coomer's words were silenced, presumably by a hand over his mouth if the way his words became muffled was any indicator. "Just find the room," Bubby instructed.

Nodding, Joshua slipped the phone into his pocket and pedalled towards the left hand side of the motel. Room 15 was easy enough to find, and as he set his hand on the door handle, it gave way, opening.

Joshua looked at the electronic keypad and keycard system, and then promptly ignored them.

Yet another offense to add to his growing criminal record.

Inside was exactly how Joshua had imagined a motel room to look. Dirty white carpet that reeked of stale cigarette smoke, walls stained with dirt that some poor janitor had tried to scrub away, and a double bed with some tacky bedsheets. There was a small chest of drawers under the window, with an old television and VCR atop it. The rabbit-ear aerials would probably catch nothing, seeing as analog stations had long since died out.

Joshua let go of his bike, dropped his backpack onto the floor, and flung himself onto the bed.

It bounced slightly, bedframe squeaking under his weight. A sigh of exhaustion made him sink into the mattress further, slowly becoming one with the motel bed.

Above, the light flickered for a moment, and then the television flicked on. The roar of static filled the room, cutting out sharply after a second, only to be replaced with loud but familiar bickering.

"It's my turn on the screen!"

"You've been on the screen all day, Bubby."

"D-Doctor Coomer, you've been quite the screen fiend!"

"I'm a fiend?!"

Bubby, Coomer, and Tommy's voices were the most prominent, but Joshua could hear the background grumble of the VOX and Benry.

He didn't bother to look at them, instead focusing on how good it felt to rest, and how sore his feet felt. "I wanna watch Simpsons."

"The Simpsons-"

Coomer was cut off by someone's hand over his mouth, and Joshua ignored it. There was a moment of static again, replaced almost instantly by the opening theme for the Simpsons.

Joshua smiled, forcing himself to sit up on the bed and fiddle with his shoelaces. His fingers ached as he pulled at the knots, finally managing to pull off his left shoe.

His socks smelled awful, stained with sweat and- Joshua pulled his foot closer. 

Was that blood?

Peeling the cloth off, Joshua looked at his foot. The bottom was raw, and bruises had started to crop up along his skin. His shoes had been due for a replacement before, and his cross country sprint and ride wasn't helping. The other foot was much the same, shoe and sock being cast onto the floor.

A beep from his phone told Joshua he had a message, and he lazily brought it up, reading the chatroom.

Benry: bro take a shower  
Benry: yo feet nasty

Joshua snorted.

Joshua: Don't look.  
Benry: m'not lookin. sensing it. big brain momence.  
Coomer: With all due respect, Boppy, I must ask you to Shut The Fuck Up.  
Forzen: I second that.  
Tommy: Third!

The conversation continued but Joshua simply set down his phone, forcing himself to his feet. Now he'd given himself a moment's reprieve, getting back up was all the more painful. He hissed as he limped towards the bathroom, leaning heavily on the rim of the motel bathtub as he filled it. 

He deserved this.

...And maybe an ice cream. Yeah. He deserved one of those too.

The water stung as Joshua sunk into it. He'd rinsed his clothes off in the water first, wringing them out and draping them over the shower rod to dry. As he had, the Science Team had instructed him on how to effectively remove the dirt and grime from his socks, and how to deal with his wounds.

When Joshua asked how they knew all of that, Tommy cited his extensive knowledge of Wikipedia.

"Dad hates that website," Joshua had said as he slapped the wet socks over the rim of the sink, enjoying the sound. He picked them up and did it again. "Says it's full of lies."

"I thought we blew up Wikipedia," Bubby said as Joshua closed the toilet lid, setting the phone atop it.

Joshua shook his head. "It's still there," he'd answered.

Wikipedia was still there, and as Joshua worked on trying to let the hot water relax his aching muscles, he listened to the muffled sound of Simpsons episodes, mixed with the murmuring from the phone.

"Yo, my edit's still there!" Benry shouted, startling Joshua. There was a moment of silence, broken by laughter. It was loud and genuine, even coming from Darnold and the VOX.

Darnold snorted, struggling to get a word out. "A-All Dogs Go To Heav-Heaven Two?! Really?!" He was coughing, which Joshua found strange. Darnold had no reason to breathe. No need. None of the Science Team did, and yet there they were, all wheezing and gasping for air as they laughed, minus the VOX who simply droned with a soft repetition of "ha" over and over again.

He sank into the water, letting it fill his ears. It muffled their conversation, drowning it out. Joshua could still make out the dull voices, picking up a word here and there. Benry sounded excited about something, and both Darnold and Forzen seemed to be cheering him on, which meant that whatever they were doing was going to result in some kind of destruction.

Destruction. His life was destroyed now. His father was missing, his apartment busted and beaten, his body aching and sore. He was on the run.

And if they caught him? What would happen then?

Joshua sat up, water draining out of his ears just in time to hear the VOX start speaking. "BLACK MESA TORTURE. VERY EFFECTIVE."

"And with only a ninety-three percent mortality rate!" Coomer chimed in.

Everything had been building over the day, sticking to Joshua much like the chlorine from the pool, sinking in and soaking his very being.

He took a breath and it caught in his chest, making him hiccup. Then another followed, accompanied by a sniffle.

"Don't cry," he quietly demanded, scolding himself as his hands curled into fists, short nails digging into his palms. "Don't cry Joshua."

And yet the tears began to form in his eyes, stinging as his chest burned, trying desperately to hold back gasping breaths that he knew would give way to a full breakdown. This wasn't the time. How could he save his father if he just sat here crying. He should be thinking of plans, staying strong, focusing hard on what's ahead of him.

He can't afford to be weak.

And yet.

And yet.

His whine is high-pitched, catching the others off-guard as it began to echo in the bathroom, bouncing off the cracked tiles. The whine became a sob, and another, and another. Even as the water started to cool, heat leaking out into the poorly insulated room, Joshua didn't notice. He just sat hunched, knees close as his chest began to shake with uneven breaths, little spasms wracking his body as the floodgates open.

The tears are what really sets it off though, and as the first ones rolled down his cheeks, the sob graduated into crying, voice cracking as he began to wail in fear and grief and desperation.

His phone fell silent, the seven inhabitants all quietly listening.

Tommy: Oh no! What do we do?  
Forzen: We can't do anything.  
Forzen: We're just computers. Numbers.  
Tommy: Surely there's something :(  
Benry: order ice cream  
Benry: seven ice cream  
Coomer: I do believe an 'Ice Cream' is often used to console children! This sounds like a wonderful idea Bappy.  
Benry: my name is right there

The gentle vibration of the phone went unnoticed, and Darnold quietly set the phone to 'silent', as to not disrupt Joshua.

VOX: LET. CRY.  
Bubby: It'll do him some good. I never got consoled when I cried.  
Coomer: Bubby, you're not real, and you never cried around Gordon.  
Bubby: My point stands.

Bubby and the VOX had a point. Coomer knew crying was cathartic, and both Forzen and Tommy agreed that this was for the best right now.

Benry: makin those orders  
Benry: flippin burgs  
Benry: gonna make the happy meal with the cool mr incredible toy  
Benry: press button on his back he pops a mad flex  
Forzen: Ben, what the fuck are you talking about?  
Benry: huh?  
Forzen: Nevermind.

The phone's screen went dark, and the Science Team withdrew, giving Joshua his first moment of privacy all day.


	10. Caller ID

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joshua receives more than his daily dose of childhood trauma in the form of a phone call.

It's cold when Joshua bothers to pry himself from the bath. The water had long since gone cold, and his fingers had wrinkled.

Gordon had told him that old people spent too long in the bath, and that's why they got all wrinkly. Joshua didn't believe him, of course, but he had asked Grammy and Grampy about it when he had the chance, which had made them both laugh.

He missed them. A lot.

Stepping onto the cold tile floor, he groaned. His feet still ached, and having spent more than an hour off of them had made him forget how much they hurt.

"This sucks," Josh grumbled as he dried himself off, stepping into the mildly warmer motel room. His feet ached slightly less on the carpet, but it was still painfully noticeable as Joshua opened his backpack.

Digging past the money and jar of change, Joshua pulled out his change of clothes, slipping on the jeans and oversized shirt. He also made sure to grab his cowboy, looking over the patchwork jacket Gordon had made for it. To stay warm, as Joshua had insisted.

"This sucks Sherriff Shooty Gun Gun." He held the doll close to his chest, trying to find some kind of familiar comfort in it. "I just wanna go home and eat ice cream."

The word 'ice cream' had barely left his mouth when Joshua heard his phone ding. Padding back to the bathroom, he picked it up, seeing the group chat's notifications.

He didn't bother scrolling back to read the earlier conversation, instead focused on the message sent to him by Coomer.

Coomer: Look outside the motel door please!

"Uh..." Looking at the door hesitantly, Joshua crept towards it, twisting the handle slowly. "What's out there?"

Coomer: A Surprise!

Joshua looked at the phone skeptically. "...Right." His face was full of worry as he turned his attention from the screen to the thin wooden door. The handle turned stiffly in his hand and he pulled it open, scanning the outside with paranoia.

He needed to make sure nobody was watching, or listening. If they heard him-

**"LOOK JOSHUA! THE COAST IS CLEAR!"**

Coomer's voice was incredibly loud. So loud in fact, that Joshua could see people on the other side of the motel complex starting to look around in confusion.

"Nice one, Einstein," Bubby chided from the phone. Joshua grit his teeth, looking around the doorway. He almost missed it in his panicked state, but caught sight of it on the second pass; a large plastic bag filled with... something.

Snatching it up, Joshua dragged the bag inside. It was heavier than it looked, and it did take him a moment to get it into the room, kicking the door shut. "We're meant to be hiding!"

"They didn't see us, did they?" Coomer asked. Joshua groaned, locking the door and drawing the curtains shut even more. It made the room more suspicious, but he didn't know. He was just a kid.

"Nope!" The glee in Coomer's voice did nothing to assure Joshua. Dragging the bag over to the bed, he threw his phone onto the mattress, taking a seat on the ground to work through the bag's contents.

Joshua paused just before opening it. "How did this get here? Who even left this?"

His phone pinged.

Benry: baby don't know about delivery  
Forzen: It's DiGiorno  
Tommy: We didn't order a pizza?  
Bubby: Wait were we meant to order a pizza?  
Forzen: No it's a joke  
Coomer: I love jokes! Let me tell you one about a Chicken. Why did-

Ignoring the message alerts from his phone, Joshua opened the plastic bag, looking down at the contents with confusion.

Atop the bag was a small tub of neapolitan ice cream. It was still cold, evident by the thin layer of frost atop it. Joshua pulled it out, gaze narrowing at the piece of cloth underneath that had adhered itself to the frost. Ripping it off, Joshua set the ice cream aside and inspected the cloth.

It was a new shirt, a dark shade of red with the words "I Stole Sentient AI And Got Chased Across America And All I Got Was This Shirt" written on it in white comic sans.

Underneath it, still in the bag, was a pair of plain grey sweatpants, along with several bags of chips and snacks, along with a large bottle water and a slightly crushed Happy Meal.

Joshua's phone pinged again, and he bothered to reach for it blindly groping as he tried to take in the newfound goods.

Darnold: THE QUALITY OF PIZZA IS IMPORTANT.  
Coomer: We supplied you with supplies!  
Bubby: ALL FREEZER PIZZA TASTES THE SAME.  
Coomer: And a new shirt. Do you like it? :)  
Tommy: NO THEY DON'T. THEY ALL TASTE DIFFERENT.  
Benry: yo every pizza has the same cheese tho  
Coomer: Oh I do hope you like it!  
Bubby: THE CHEESE IS ONLY PART OF THE FLAVOUR.  
Coomer: **You Better Like It.**  
VOX: WHAT IS PIZZA?  
Coomer: Pizza is a savory dish of Italian origin consisting of a usually round, flattened base of leavened wheat-based dough topped-

Blinking, Joshua typed out a message, mind suffering from the tonal whiplash of the conversation.

Joshua: Thank you?  
Coomer: You are more than welcome Joshua. :)  
Darnold: We worked out your size by checking Gordon's purchase history.  
Coomer: We investigated the receipts for a "Tar-Get" purchase with your sizes.  
Joshua: Not creepy at all  
Benry: 1337 h4x0r m0m3nc3  
Forzen: Do not type like that ever again.  
Benry: or what  
Forzen: Are you ready to test my patience?  
[BENRY HAS CHALLENGED-

The message vanished, along with the chat window, immediately replaced by a caller ID window.

The name "Mom" stared up at Joshua, accompanied by a MIDI file of Rhinestone Eyes. Her photo was beneath it, a smiling woman with soft brown hair, holding a teddy bear that Joshua hadn't seen in years.

His finger hovered above the 'accept call' button. His mom would know what to do. Surely. She was smart. She liked to answer his questions. She even helped when Gordon was doing Joshua's homeschooling and he didn't know an answer to a question.

She could help him find Gordon. Find his dad.

He accepted the call just as his phone vibrated with a simple message from Bubby.

Bubby: DON'T ANSWER.

The call connected, the room overtaken with the frantic voice of a woman, spitting out words as soon as she could form them. "Joshua! Joshua, is that you? Say something baby, talk to me!"

Joshua bit his tongue. His phone vibrated at a mile a minute, messages all too fast for him to read. The television, which was still playing the Simpsons, flicked to static, then to an empty channel, displaying nothing but a black square.

He looked up to it, watching as the Science Team all began to manifest, nervously looking to each other and whispering. The volume of the television lowered dramatically, and Joshua watched as they flicked the subtitles on.

Forzen: Answer her.

"H-Hi... Mom." Joshua's voice was soft as he spoke, cradling the phone with both hands.

Relief flooded his mother's voice as she began to speak again. "Joshie! Oh baby I was so scared, your neighbours, they said- They said your apartment was empty and trashed, and that there'd been a small fire and- Oh baby I was scared, where did you go? Are you safe? I'll come get you, just say the word I'll come get you-"

"Mom..." Joshua sniffed, eyes beginning to sting. He'd just been done crying in the bath, and round two was not treating him any kinder. "It's Daddy. He's... Daddy's gone, and-"

"I know baby, and we're gonna find Daddy," his mother answered. Joshua looked up to the television, watching as Forzen pressed against the glass, blocking the rest of the team.

Forzen: She's lying to you.

No. His mother would never lie to him. "You can help? Help me find Daddy?"

"Yes baby, I can! We'll call the police, we'll ask them!" Her voice was hopeful and teary. "You gotta tell me where you are, Cowboy. I'll drive right down. Me and Eric can come get you."

Eric was his stepdad. He was a nice guy, and Joshua appreciated the fact Eric could ride a horse. He'd even shown Joshua how to do it once or twice, before he'd moved in with Gordon permanently.

Joshua felt his insides twist. "I'm-" He bit his tongue, looking up at the screen. Forzen was being shoved away by Benry and Darnold, subtitles leaking out of view as everyone scrambled to speak. He could barely read them, but a few lines caught his eye.

Benry: don't be a narc  
Tommy: You can't tell her! It'll-  
Darnold: It's not safe Joshua!

"I can't tell you, Mommy. I'm sorry." Drawing his knees close, Joshua sniffled again, the tears in his eyes escaping as he blinked. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"Baby, you can tell me! You're not gonna get in trouble, I promise." She was scared, and Joshua could tell. "I just want you to come home baby. You don't have to worry anymore."

But he did. His father was being held hostage. There was something to worry about.

"Mom-"

"Don't worry about the computer program, it'll be okay." His mother soothed.

Wait. Computer program.

How did she-

The rest of her words went in one ear and out the other. Joshua lifted his head, watching as the Science Team on the television all murmured and hissed at each other, desperately trying to work out what to do.

Benry broke away from the group, taking advantage of their confusion and fear to approach the screen.

Benry: don't tell her.  
Benry: you can't. those dudes are there.  
Benry: i saw your netflix. think about it. all those movies.  
Benry: what do they do in them when they want to find a guy?

Joshua stared, reading the words as they filled up the screen, overtaking the Science Team's [nervous mumbling] subtitles.

In all those movies he'd watched with Gordon, when they wanted to find someone, they tapped the phone lines and made a family member call, or a friend. Then, they'd have officers in the room, listening.

His mother wasn't going to save him. She couldn't.

She was only slightly less trapped than his father.

"I- I can't tell you," Joshua said, forcing the words out through a lump in his throat.

"What a shame."

The voice that spoke then wasn't his mother. It was deeper, distorted, owned by a stranger with ill intent.

Joshua could hear his mother scream, shouting and begging as things knocked over, and all Joshua could do was sit there with a white-knuckled grip as something clicked in the background, followed by a loud bang that blew out the speakers, becoming nothing but a garbled mess.

"Go to the police, Joshua. Before anyone else gets hurt."

The dial tone was all that he could hear, a gentle beep in his ear. He didn't notice as his phone automatically hung up, throwing him back to the Science Team's group chat. Nor did he notice as the phone slipped from his now-slack grip, thumping gently on the carpeted floor.

"Mom?" he asked, hands still locked in place, fingers curled to hold a phone that was no longer there.

"Mommy?"


	11. Did You Catch That On Camera?

There was a silence in the motel room. Joshua stared into nothing, body still as he tried to wrap his mind around the events that just happened.

"Mom-"

He'd seen movies. He knew what a gunshot sounded like.

But that, that was-

It all clicked at once, eyes widening as a shuddering gasp wracked his chest. His hands covered his mouth, and the tears that had been starting during his phone call now kicked in full force.

Mom. His mother. She-

"Mommy," he whined, voice muffled behind his hands.

The Science Team had heard the whole call, and the events had stunned them almost as much as Joshua. They stood around, baffled, unsure of what to do. 

They hadn't been programmed to console children on grief, or to unravel conspiracies. They were just meant to escape a Resonance Cascade.

But this? This was-

Benry was gone before any of them knew what was happening. He wasn't in the television, and he wasn't in the phone.

Speaking of, the phone was probably the best place to be. Almost like a cohesive mass, they vanished from the television, reappearing in the phone in a flurry of text messages.

"JOSHUA. HOLD PHONE." The VOX said aloud, voice muffled slightly by the carpet. Joshua didn't listen, starting to hyperventilate as his mind understood.

They'd shot his mother. They shot his mom because he ran away with the AI and if he'd just stayed put she'd be alive and-

**"Joshua. Breathe."**

Coomer's voice had dropped low, so far removed from his usual range that it managed to startle Joshua enough that he noticed the phone. His body trembled as he reached for it, cradling it gently with both hands as he tried to get his breathing under control. Hiccups tore through his body, making his breath catch, but Coomer wasn't going to let Joshua work himself into a flurry.

"Down here, Joshua." His voice was gentle, like a grandparent. Joshua didn't remember his grandparents well, but he was sure Coomer would have liked them. Turning his gaze down, he watched the screen light up, displaying the man himself. "Now, I want you to breathe with me."

Removing a hand to wipe at his face, Joshua nodded, blinking more tears out and down his cheeks.

"Ready? Breathe in. Hold. And out."

Slowly, Coomer began to work with Joshua. Shaky breaths entered the boy's chest and left slightly steadier. A few hiccups interrupted the flow, but Coomer was patient. "It's alright Joshua. Take your time."

Joshua nodded, lightheaded. He took a breath in. He let it out.

He looked at the phone and remembered his phone call and-

"-cus on my voice, okay?"

Now Tommy was talking, having taken over for Coomer. Joshua struggled to listen, mind whirling with the fact his mother was dead and-

"YO JOSH MAN."

Benry's voice was unexpected, so much so that it made Tommy scream. Joshua's breathing picked up, but he forced himself to look at the security guard on his phone.

"Josh I have super important news," Benry began. "Your mom's fine. Poggers in fact."

A resounding 'what' filled the space, be it from Joshua's mouth, Tommy and Coomer through the speakers, or the several messages in the group chat that appeared at the top of the screen.

Joshua stared, unblinking. His mouth refused to move, so Forzen took it upon himself to press, appearing on screen with little fanfare, fists curled in Benry's shirt. "Talk."

"S'just a con," Benry answered, unfazed by the rough treatment. "Cool uh, cool movie tech. Smoke and mirrors."

For a moment Forzen spluttered, the chat going wild with frantic messages from the others. "You- I- Proof? Where is she?"

Benry stared. Then he blinked, slowly, like a cat. "Oh right." Prying Forzen's hands from his shirt, he brushed himself off. "I got a video."

This time, it's Coomer who speaks, having taken a step back from the two younger men. "Oh I do love a good video, especially debunking a murder!"

"Yeah lemme uh, I'll throw it in the chat." Benry cracked his neck, walking off the screen. A message popped up at the top of the phone

[BENRY HAS SENT "fake_murder_4k_gone_wrong_not_clickbait_18+_60fps_you_wont_believe_it.mp4" to "SCIENCE TEAM SAVES THE GORDON"]

Huh. Joshua didn't even know the group chat had a name.

There was no time wasted in opening the video, and it seemed as if the Science Team all had the same idea, with their uncharacteristic silence giving Joshua the briefest moment of quiet.

True to the file name, the video was crisp, although filmed vertically. Joshua's mother had been seated at her kitchen table, the phone propped upright against something. Now she was by the doorway, a hand over her mouth as a tall man in a suit kept both her arms behind her back. She was struggling, crying, but still alive. Still breathing, if the ragged wheezing from her nose was anything to go by.

Another suited man stood by, gun in hand. He approached Joshua's mother, pointing the gun at her, resting the barrel against her chin, front sight digging into her skin. "If your son calls you, don't say anything. Simply answer. Do you understand?"

It was growled out as a threat, and Joshua watched as his mother nodded frantically, voice muffled by the hand on her mouth. The man was facing away from the camera, but his smile was audible. "Good. We'll have someone staying with you until we can find your son. Don't worry, ma'am. He'll be returned to you alive. That is, as long as he hands over what he's stolen."

The video cut there, sending Joshua back to the group chat, but there was nothing else he needed to see in that footage.

She was alive. His mother. Alive.

Under threat, yes. If he could, he'd go back in a heartbeat to rescue her, but that was just what the men wanted. If he went to find his father, however...

Sniffing, Joshua rubbed at his eyes, puffy and sore. "C-Can you tell me-" he hiccuped, and his companions did not mention it. "What was- What was Dad like?"

Bubby's message popped up first, beating the others as they considered what to say.

Bubby: What do you mean?

He was tired. This morning he'd woken up to a trashed house, and tonight he'd be going to sleep in a motel bed after being faced with the very real concept of his mother being murdered over the phone.

He couldn't speak, typing out the response with slow, uncooperate fingers.

Joshua: In Black Mesa. What was Dad like?

Bubby: It's a long story.

Weakly smiling, Joshua climbed into the motel bed and pulled the blankets over him, ignoring how scratchy they were.

Joshua: Tell me aloud?

The comforting voices of the Science Team began to emanate from his speakers, and Joshua sank into the mattress, finding comfort in their words.

He was asleep before Benry could even talk about his first inquiry as to where Gordon's passport was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOOOO IT WAS A PRANK BRO, JUST A MAD PRANK LOOK THERE'S A CAMERA OVER THERE
> 
> The Black Mesa Agents are not well known for their "funny hilarious pranks".


	12. The Night Is Full Of Dangerous Things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for gore and horror elements in the last segment

Under the covers, Joshua was warm and comfortable. His companions had long since fallen silent, all deciding together that their silence would help Joshua sleep. They might have been AI hell-bent on tearing Black Mesa apart and making chaos every moment they could, but they also were Gordon's friends, and if they kept Joshua up after a day like today? Well, Gordon would surely end their lives in some way or another.

In that warmth, wrapped up in uncomfortable motel sheets, Joshua didn't notice the gentle chill that invaded the air, like standing near a freezer in the supermarket, not inherently freezing, but certainly enough to make your hairs stand on end.

The chill was intense only for a moment before calming down, mingling with the warm night air and simply dropping the temperature by a few degrees. The shitty carpet muffled each footstep, leaving only the softest thud of dress shoes as someone approached the bed.

Leaning down, a pale hand gently pried the mobile from Joshua's loose grip and pressed it against their ear.

"Thomas."

_"Dad!"_

Mister Coolatta stepped away from the bed, approaching the window that Joshua had closed the curtains to earlier. "How is the... investigation?"

Tommy was silent for a moment. _"They uh, the- Black Mesa called Joshua."_

"Oh?" Pulling open the curtains, Mister Coolatta let a sliver of moonlight in, missing Joshua's face. "Did these men, perhaps, want to... negotiate?"

_"They pretended to kill Joshua's mom on the phonecall and threatened him."_

No hesitation hung in Tommy's words. No stutter nor slipup. He knew exactly what he was saying, and he said it with force. Mister Coolatta even stopped in place at the tone.

He narrowed his brows. "They killed Miss Freeman?"

 _"No."_ Tommy sounded angry. More than Mister Coolatta had ever heard him be. _"They- Benry went over- I know it was dangerous so don't say it but he- he went over and had a peek and they didn't- they just pretended to!"_

Slowly Mister Coolatta began to process this information. Joshua's mother was an extra layer in the equation, and Black Mesa stooping to blackmail and threats of murder simply to get their AI back was something he hadn't anticipated.

His employers had entertained the idea for a moment and then brushed it aside. They hadn't expected Joshua to be so good at running.

Stepping away from the window, Mister Coolatta approached the bed, standing beside it. Joshua was sleeping remarkably peacefully, breaths slow as he snuggled against the pillow. "They'll keep coming. You are aware, aren't you?"

 _"We gotta- We gotta keep going. Mister Freeman needs us!"_ There was conviction in his words, making Mister Coolatta smile as Tommy kept talking. _"It's dangerous but- But I think we want to keep going! Joshua doesn't- He didn't have to take us with him, and- and- and we wanna help him and Gordon!"_

"I do owe Doctor Freeman a great deal." Mister Coolatta removed the phone from his ear, setting it down on the bedside table. Carefully, he peeled back the sheet covering Joshua, sliding his hands under Joshua's legs and chest before lifting him up bridal-style. Softly, Joshua grumbled, but he didn't wake, leaning into Mister Coolatta. One hand clutched at his suit jacket, the other pulled tight to his chest.

In the quiet of the room, Mister Coolatta could faintly hear Tommy's voice from the speaker. _"Dad? What are you doing?"_

Mister Coolatta didn't answer. Instead he moved towards the bathroom, steps slow and even as to not wake Joshua. Tommy's voice became quieter with distance, almost inaudible as Mister Coolatta entered the bathroom. 

The bathroom was at an angle where you could only see the toilet seat, and a sliver of the bathtub from the outside window. Mister Coolatta took this into account as he set Joshua down on the cool floor, carefully detaching the child from him as he leaned Joshua against the wall. His neck would certainly be sore when he woke up, but that wasn't going to be Mister Coolatta's problem.

Getting back to his feet, he moved back to the bed, proceeding to smooth out the sheets, making the bed as neatly as he could. Then, he gathered Joshua's belongings and moved them underneath the window, out of sight from prying eyes.

All the while, Tommy's concerns were becoming more intense. _"Dad, please! You- What are you doing? Where's Joshua? Where'd he go?!"_

The phone was ignored. Instead, Mister Coolatta set down his briefcase on the newly made bed, which was interesting, since he hadn't entered the room with it. The latches unclicked, and he withdrew a thin blue blanket, snapping the briefcase shut a moment later. With slightly more haste, Mister Coolatta entered the bathroom, draping the blanket over Joshua, who only grumbled, pulling the cloth towards himself.

Now, Mister Coolatta was satisfied. He returned to the phone, picking it up as Tommy begged him for some kind of update.

"Go to sleep, Thomas."

Tommy's voice fell quiet, subdued as he tried to speak. _"What'd... you do... to..."_

He didn't get to finish his question, and Mister Coolatta hung up, placing the phone by Joshua's feet before returning to grab his briefcase.

The cars pulled up to the motel in silence. They were crisp black four-wheel drives, perfect paint jobs reflecting the light of the street lamps and the cheap neon that shone from the motel's sign, advertising its vacancies.

Barely audible over the crickets in the night, several men opened the doors, suits almost as crisp and clean as their cars. They didn't wear sunglasses to hide their eyes, but the dark of the night did it for them, keeping them discreet as they all stood on the sidewalk, pistols at the ready.

One of them took the lead, breaking formation to address his fellow agents in a quiet voice. "We received word that a young boy showed up here a few hours ago on a bicycle. His appearance matches Mr Freeman's child."

An agent raised his hand slightly. "Agent Mason," he began. "What are our orders?"

Agent Mason paused for a moment. "Capture him alive. If you find him, request an EMP wave to immobilize the AI, then place all electricals from the premises into a faraday cage. Any other questions, Agent Yao?"

"Just one," they answered. "What if there's a witness or accomplice?"

"Eliminate them," Agent Mason answered.

In the dark, the gleam of the agents' teeth signalled all their intents.

Agent Mason had acquired a list of the Motel's occupants and distributed copies to each of the assigned men. Out of the thirty or so rooms, twelve of them were currently occupied. Most of the residents were on the bottom floor, but a few of them were on the first, leaving the group of agents to split up.

Quietly, they peered into windows, shining small penlights through uncovered windows, squinting through the lace curtains on the few rooms that had chosen to keep them closed. With each room they checked, they found it appropriately vacant, or occupied, beds occupied by lumps of fabric that rose and fell in a pattern. Some of them were even snoring, which served to make their jobs all a bit easier.

Checking his list, Agent Yao paused outside room 15. It hadn't been rented out, and the keys to the place were still in the reception, according to Agent Mandy who was currently staking the place out for stragglers or anyone who might know about the target.

The curtains were open, and Agent Yao took care as he lifted the pen light, shining the thin beam through the glass. The light reflected a bit, of course, but some of it managed to get inside, illuminating the room.

Nothing occupied the bed. No body, nor shifting lump of fabric. It was perfectly made, corners tucked in and pillows smoothed out. Even tracing the light over the slightly open bathroom revealed nothing. There was no corner that Agent Yao could see anyone hiding in, and as he tried the door handle, he found it locked.

Empty. Just like the other three rooms he'd just tried.

Agent Yao sighed and moved onto room 16.

He just wanted to go home and watch John Wick.

Just as silently as they had come, the agents slipped into the black cars and drove away into the darkness, the only sign of their presence being the odd footprint from the night's frost.

Mister Coolatta stood beneath a street light and watched them leave, content.

And as he vanished again into the night, he did not leave a trace.

His mother's house was always warm and comfortable, and that's why Joshua liked it. Sometimes after he'd come back from preschool, he'd smell cookies, and there'd be a fresh tray cooling on the bench.

"Not yet," she'd chide. "Not yet."

But as Joshua pushed open the door to her house, there was no smell of fresh dough, nor gentle tune of the radio. Nothing greeted him but silence as he stood in the doorway, crowbar in one hand, phone in the other. His backpack was heavy, but he'd grown so used to the weight that he barely even noticed anymore.

"Mom?" he called, dropping his bag by the shoe rack.

She didn't answer. He stepped further into the living room, taking a left turn around the couch and stopping. The hallway entrance was right in front of him. To the left was the kitchen, and further to the right led towards the bathroom and bedrooms.

But he'd stopped not for the memory of what lie there, but for the large red stain on the fine cream paint. From ceiling to floor, soaking into the hallway carpet, was a patch of dark red. Some of it dripped from the roof itself, while other bits slowly ran down the wall, chunky and inconsistent.

Joshua grip on the phone loosened and it fell to the living room floor with a dull thud. His crowbar followed a moment later. "Mommy?"

A wet thump answered him, like someone dropping a soaking wet pile of clothes.

Joshua tensed. "Mommy?"

Another thump. And another. There were short pauses between them, yet Joshua didn't move, watching as the red dripped to the floor. The smell of copper assaulted his nose yet he didn't raise a hand to keep the smell out. Instead he just stared, watching crimson fingertips slowly creep into view, digging into the carpet and pulling, dragging itself forward.

Crimson fingertips gave way to bloodied arms. A stained golden bracelet caught on the carpet and Joshua felt something inside him twist. He'd brought her that bracelet with his dad. Before she'd divorced him.

Before he'd-

The phone vibrated on the carpet but Joshua didn't hear it. All he could hear was the heavy thump of her hands hitting the carpet, pulling her around the corner of the doorway.

She lifted her face to look at him and he tried to scream. Her eyes were empty, carved out, leaving nothing but black voids that seeped with blood and- was that maggots?

Her skin was pale, almost white as a sheet, although the chunks of brain and skull fragments that had gotten caught in the congealed trails of blood on her face certainly broke up the monotony. Rot overwhelmed him and he still couldn't cover his nose, eyes watering as he tried to understand.

But she- She couldn't be dead.

And as she smiled, Joshua saw her chipped, missing teeth, and the holes in her jaw.

His phone vibrated again.

He stared at her as she slowly clawed her way towards him, the walls and floor becoming red with each thump as she closed the gap. It dripped from the ceiling and welled up from the floor and yet Joshua stared, feet like concrete, hands bound by invisible force.

She clawed her way to his feet and he stared down at her, watching as she grinned up, head tilted, bloodied hands clinging to his legs, nails digging through his pants.

The phone behind him stopped vibrating, switching to loud speaker as Doctor Coomer's cheerful voice came through with clarity.

"Black Mesa's torture programs have only a ninety-three percent mortality rate!"

Her eyes, dark and empty, lit up with a pinprick of white light.

She launched herself upwards at his face.

He screamed.


	13. Packin' Up And Pissin' Off

Joshua didn't scream aloud as he opened his eyes, but he did jerk violently, going from hunched over his knees to smacking his head on the tile wall and screeching out some choice curses.

"Whoa!" Bubby's voice came from the phone, laying on the floor beside his foot. "That's quite the language, sir!"

"Got a permit for those swears? You old enough?" Benry asked, deciding to bandwagon on the criticisms. "Gotta pay the fine if you- Oh shit."

His slew of complaints stopped as Joshua gripped the back of his head, chest heaving with shallow shaky breaths.

"JOSHUA. HURT." The VOX spoke as concerned as it could, and had Joshua been in a better frame of mind, he'd be touched by the worry. Instead he was busy hissing in pain, falling onto his side and landing in the doorway to the main room.

The Science Team began to talk over each other, all trying to work out what was happening when they all fell quiet, hushed gently by another.

"Yo, Josh." Forzen spoke calmly, voice even. He couldn't see Joshua from the phone's angle, but he did hear the pained "Mm" in response. "You have a bad dream or something?"

Benry piped up at that. "Kid's got nightmare fuel? Creepypastas in the brain?"

Joshua opened his eyes, using his foot to nudge the phone closer. He groped for it with a hand, the other still holding his throbbing head. As the cool plastic met his fingers, Joshua pulled the phone close, holding it so he could see the screen.

"...Had a bad dream." His voice was quiet, but in the quiet morning, the team could hear him. "'Bout Mom."

"You uh," Darnold took the floor, choosing not to appear on the screen. Instead, Joshua's lock screen stared back at him. "You wanna talk about it?"

"Mom was dead," Joshua answered slowly, staring at his father's pale face. 

He missed him. So much.

"She-" He sniffed, taking the hand off his head to rub at his eyes, "They'd- There was blood all over the walls and she-" Joshua paused. "You- You seen The Grudge?"

Darnold hummed. "The American one or the Japanese?"

"Either," Joshua said quietly. "The way that girl crawls down the stairs... Mom just..."

Tommy spoke up. "When were- When did you watch The Grudge?"

Joshua shrugged, exhausted. "Dad was asleep."

They fell into a silence as Joshua slowly woke up, letting the dream seep away from him. "Why am I in the bathroom?"

He'd been a sleepwalker once, but only for a few months. He'd managed to kick the habit once Gordon had started reading him bedtime stories again. For all his faults, he always remembered to read them.

That night, he'd read Toy Story aloud, and Joshua had fallen asleep before they even made it to Pizza Planet.

Coomer's voice came through the speakers cheerfully, making Joshua flinch. "We don't know! We were on the bed with you, and then we were here!"

A message pinged, and Joshua watched as Tommy's name came up. He opened the private message.

Tommy: My dad did it.  
Tommy: He didn't say why.

With a sigh, Joshua closed that chat, clicking on the group chat. It'd been renamed again, now titled 'tHE sCIENCE tEAM EATTE HAMED BURGHERS?'. Apparently someone was changing the name when Joshua wasn't looking. 

They'd also been chatting while he wasn't looking too.

VOX: MILK IS NOT SNACK.  
Tommy: Snack is a flexible definition!  
Benry: we don't even eat  
Forzen: We're literally incapable of consuming food.  
Bubby: We ate Soda.  
Coomer: Soda!  
Tommy: Is Soda a snack?

Joshua ignored the chat and slowly pushed himself to his feet, eager to stretch out his cramped limbs. The blanket fell from his shoulders, pooling at his feet. The blue of it reminded Joshua of an ocean, although if he looked at for a moment too long, it seemed to sparkle, like the depths of space.

Trying to get the crick out of his neck, Joshua stumbled into the main room, feet still sore from the previous day's work. The bed was perfectly made, and under the window was his bag of supplies, as well as his backpack and crowbar. Ignoring the conversation on his phone, Joshua sat down and began to rummage through the bag, reacquainting himself with the goods. 

The tub of ice cream was still cold, despite spending the night outside the freezer. His crushed Happy Meal, too, was warm. Joshua pulled them both out of the bag, looking between them before deciding to open the Happy Meal and start snacking.

"They didn't get you a drink!" Darnold cried, obviously shocked. "I'll have to- I'll make them pay for that!"

"Didn't we pay for that?" Benry asked.

"We didn't pay at all!" Bubby answered. "It's all fraud!"

Coomer grinned. "Oh I do love a good Fraud!"

"There's a vending machine in the reception area! Maybe you can- We'll get a drink there!" Tommy cheerfully suggested. Joshua raised an eyebrow, having already shoved half of the cheeseburger into his mouth.

Mouth half-full, Joshua grumbled out a response. "Ohkayh," he answered, throwing the rest of the cheeseburger back in the box. Brushing a bit of sauce from the corner of his mouth, Joshua approached the door and opened it, stepping out into the cool morning.

The concrete was nice on his aching feet, although having to cross the small patch of carpark to reach the reception undid any of that concrete calm. Opening the door to the reception area, Joshua stepped in, trying to keep to himself.

Behind the desk was a young man, barely out of high school. He was leaning on the desk, talking to a middle aged woman who was busy trying to light her cigarette. The vending machine was in the corner of the room, and Joshua approached it quietly, looking to his phone for suggestions on what to get.

Darnold: Doctor Pepper is pretty good, or Powerade.  
Bubby: Gatorade is better.  
Darnold: Those are fighting words, Doctor.  
Coomer: Calm down professors-  
Bubby: Doctor.  
Forzen: Red Bull  
Benry: mother  
VOX: BLOOD.  
Benry: YEAH GET BLOOD

"-And then these guys came in last night, did you see them?"

Joshua looked away from his phone, glancing over his shoulder at the woman. She'd managed to light her cigarette, and now was lamenting to the receptionist about something. "All in their black cars. I saw them peeking through the windows! I swear, the Government better have an explanation for this."

"They think some kinda terrorist is here," the receptionist answered, pulling a bottle of water out from under the desk and sipping on it. "Asked for a list of occupied rooms, ledgers with names, security footage, the whole deal."

Tensing, Joshua looked back to the vending machine, punching in the number for a bottle of aloe vera water. If it was good for your skin, it had to be good for your organs.

...Right?

The woman sighed a cloud of smoke. "They knocked on my door, asked if I'd seen some kid. I'm just here with my husband." She tapped some ash out, ignoring the thunk of the vending machine. "Said the boy was a runaway or something."

"They better get their story straight, terrorist or kid?" Another swig from the water bottle before the receptionist put it away. "Not like it's both, right? And if they're looking for some kid, it doesn't make sense all the peering in the windows. There's no way some kid's gotten into one of the rooms without us noticing. They're all electronically locked."

Joshua picked up his bottle and looked to his phone, nervous.

Coomer: Get out.  
Bubby: Go.  
Benry: we gotta go  
Tommy: Pack up! Shower!

He left the reception area before the two of them could get a better look at him. If he was lucky, they wouldn't remember him.

But his luck could be finicky, and fate was cruel.  
He didn't trust it.

He hurried back to the motel room, bottle and phone in hand. With the Science Team letting him in, he quickly finished his cheeseburger and chips. He spared a minute to start snacking on the ice cream, but ultimately left it alone, with the strawberry and vanilla only gone by a quarter.

Rushing into the bathroom, Joshua pulled down his now dry clothes, tossing them onto the bed before changing and stepping into the shower.

"Hey, VOX?" Joshua asked, grabbing some of the motel shampoo and working it into his hair.

"HEY. JOSHUA." It answered in return.

"You worked in Black Mesa, right?"

There was a pause. "WORKED. SHORT TIME."

"What it means to say," Bubby cut in, "is that it didn't do much before your father showed up. After all, we are just AI. There wasn't much going on before Gordon joined the simulation."

Joshua hummed. "Did you see anything stupid while you were working?"

Another silence, only interrupted by the sound of the shower and Joshua rinsing out his mouth with warm water.

"YES. FUCK YES."

Joshua spat out the water and laughed.

The stories the VOX had to tell were interesting. The Science Team came from a build of Half Life, and it seemed that while they were the only ones who had evolved a full personality with their self-awareness, some of the other scientists seemed to have started down that road.

Joshua learned of two guards who participated in the same game of Rock, Paper, Scissors every day, always picking the same thing, although being confused as to why they could never win. There was a scientist who liked to do air guitar riffs in the cafeteria. Even a few of the guards teamed up with the scientists to run a limbo contest, although their programming had bugged out when one of the scientists' models clipped, putting his torso into his feet.

"I remember that," Darnold said as Joshua turned off the water, stepping out onto the cold tile. "They called it a shared nightmare. None of them knew why."

"It got blamed on the Administrator," Bubby answered. "Like some kind of experiment gone wrong."

Drying himself off, Joshua grabbed the phone and tossed it onto the bed, busying himself with grabbing the clothes from the bag. The red shirt was the only thing that was entirely clean and dry, so Joshua threw it on, along with the grey sweatpants.

"What do you think?" he asked, grabbing the phone and holding it up. He angled the camera so it could catch the writing on his shirt. It might be stupid, or dangerous, but wearing a shirt that said "I Stole Sentient AI And Got Chased Across America And All I Got Was This Shirt" just felt like the right move.

The others agreed, given their cheerful whooping. It was a comfort, although Joshua didn't waste time basking in it. Pocketing the phone, he quickly grabbed his socks and slipped them on, ignoring the slight dampness in the ends of the toes. The shoes went on next and Joshua winced as his aching feet went back in. 

"I need a manicu- Manic-"

"Manicure!" Coomer answered. "That's just for the nails. Are you looking for a full massage instead?"

Joshua shoved the clothes into his backpack and started to shove the chips and other snacks into the bag, along with the ice cream tub. "Maybe?"

"Nearby Massage Parlors are-" His voice became muffled as Bubby uttered some kind of curse, trying to stop Coomer listing off nearby locations. With his good in hand and on his back, Joshua approached the bike, pausing as he grabbed the handlebars. 

Something about it had changed.

It took a minute for Joshua to realize what about the bike had changed, and it was only through a throwaway comment from the VOX that made him realize it as he held the phone out towards it.

"CHAIN. THICK."

Joshua bent down and inspected the chain. It was slightly thicker, and now he looked closer, he noticed a small box near the rear wheel. A... petrol engine?

"ENGINE. GO FAST. NO PEDAL. POLLUTE."

"Oh I do love a good pollute!"

Joshua sighed and shook his head, pocketing the phone again. Coomer seemed to love a good amount of things. 

He paused. Coomer.

_"-A ninety-three percent mortality rate!"_

Withdrawing the phone again, Joshua opened the messages window, then, opened one with Coomer.

Joshua: Does Black Mesa really have a 93% mortality rate?

Coomer texted back almost immediately.

Coomer: For torture? Yes! For general employment? No.

The scent of copper filled Joshua's nose and he shook his head, trying to get rid of the nightmare. His mother was fine. His father would be too. He was stronger than this, and strong boys don't cry. 

The Science Team didn't want him to cry, so he wouldn't.

Coomer: Are you okay, Joshua?

He didn't reply, locking the phone and sliding it into his pocket as he grabbed the bike.

Quietly, Joshua opened the motel room door and closed it behind him, wheeling the bike out to the parking lot. Kicking up the bikestand, he leaned the bike onto it, bending down to inspect the motor. It was a pullstart, just like a lawnmower, or a go-kart.

He'd seen movies with people starting lawnmowers and other things, and once, when Gordon still lived with his mother, Joshua had helped him mow their backyard.

But right now, he was clueless.

"I have no idea what I'm doing." Joshua placed his hands on his hips and sighed. He could just pedal, ignore the engine and do things like he had yesterday, but his aching feet begged him for some respite.

His phone vibrated. He checked it.

Coomer's message still sat, waiting for an answer. Joshua closed it, instead checking the group chat for some advice.

Benry: kick it  
Forzen: Kick it  
Darnold: What are we kicking?  
Tommy: Here, I found a video!  
Tommy: Wait, this is for a different bike. :(  
Forzen: Wait. Beyblade. Just pull it

Bending down, Joshua looked for the cord. He grabbed it with one hand, bracing his other hand (and the phone) against the bike seat as he pulled.

It took a moment for it to start. The engine turned slightly with each pull, the tell-tale rev of the engine reminding Joshua of days long gone. On the fourth pull it started, and Joshua wasted no time kicking up the bike stand and settling onto the seat. "How do I-"

He stopped, eyes catching the small lever on the bike handle. Giving it a slow squeeze, the bike leapt forward, engine growling in response. The other handle did nothing, which led Joshua to assume it was the brakes.

"Where are we going?" he asked, raising the phone to his ear.

Darnold answered cheerfully. "South! Take a left and keep going!"

"We're on the road!" was the last thing Joshua heard, Benry's voice becoming muffled as he pressed the phone against the handlebar and revved the engine, taking off and out of the parking lot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Joshua having fears about his father and Coomer's worrysome statistics


	14. Speedbumps Ensure You Slow Down

The town itself was relatively small. Only twenty or so minutes on bike along the main road, and Joshua was already leaving the small area, back onto the empty freeway that stretched across the state.

As the last of the buildings faded away into the horizon, Joshua raised the phone back up to his ear. The road was smooth enough, and the bike refused to wobble as he only held on with one hand, following the white line along the bitumen. "So uh, how's the weather?"

"It'll be 86 fahrenheit today!" Coomer answered. "Inside this phone there is no weather!"

"We can however look at pictures of clouds!" Darnold added, voice quieter, as if he was further away from the microphone. "I prefer not to, but that's just a personal thing."

Joshua hummed in thought. "What's your favourite type of weather?"

"I've never experienced weather. I doubt any of us have." Bubby sounded as if he was doing something, and judging by the low, focused sounds from Darnold, it was something interesting. "But snow always looked like fun."

An explosion made Joshua pull the phone away from his ear. "Hello?"

"POTIONS." was all the VOX had to say, and was all Joshua needed. Movies had filled in the gaps on that one. "GOOD. MADE FIRE."

"A fire?" Joshua took his eyes from the road, unlocking his phone and looking at it. Sure enough, there was a small png of a smoke cloud coming out of his notepad app, and as he opened it, he found Bubby and Darnold standing at a crudely drawn table, handling small flasks they'd made themselves.

Currently, they were trying to beat out a fire that'd started on the table. "Joshua!" Darnold tried to wave him down. "A little help!"

The bike swerved, and Joshua rushed to correct it, glancing back down at his phone to see the spreading fire. "Uhhh-"

"Just tap it out! Smother it!" Bubby had taken off his coat and was using it to swat at some stray embers. Quickly checking the road again, Joshua looked at the screen and began to mash his thumb against it, trying to stop the fire from spreading. He tapped frantically for a few moments before withdrawing his thumb to find a smouldering pile of ash where the table had been.

He smiled nervously, checking the road again. "Did I get it?"

Darnold wiped his brow. "Yeah, yeah I think you got it. Got the rest of the potions too, though."

"Oh. Sorry."

Bubby shrugged. "It's fine, we can always get Benry in here to clean it up." He clapped his hands and on cue, Benry appeared, crouching on all fours and scuttling in. He began to lick at the spilled potions, sharpened teeth gnawing on broken pieces of beaker and the remaining shreds of virtual pen that had once constructed the table.

Joshua snickered at the sight while Darnold and Bubby simply watched on with a mix of pride and boredom, waiting until they could start their experiments again.

The sun's glare caught on the phone, making the screen slightly difficult to see. Joshua shifted it, angling the screen so he could see better, outward camera pointing to the road.

He barely managed to hear Coomer shout before the front wheel of the bike slammed into something, making him turn sharply. The velocity followed through, back wheel sliding into the sudden turn and, without anything to buckle him in, Joshua left the seat, handlebar and phone slipping from his grip as he hit the road with a heavy thump, rolling a few times across the heated bitumen before coming to a stop, body slumped a good eight or so feet away from the bicycle.

Its engine purred softly, no longer being revved as it lay on the ground, half draped over a thick branch that had come off a nearby tree and been pulled onto the road by some kind of animal who'd given up on their prize.

In the warm morning sun, Joshua lay still and silent while his phone was anything but. 

Coomer and Forzen had been the ones watching Joshua's camera when he crashed. Bubby, Darnold, and Benry were busy dealing with potions, and both Tommy and the VOX were handling some of the 8-ball challenges that had started stacked up the day previous. 

Joshua hadn't stayed in frame long. The impact knocked the phone free of his hand, and as it slipped from his grip, the two of them barely managed to catch sight of Joshua's face, grim terror plastered across it before he vanished, phone clattering and the faint sound of something solid hitting the ground answering them.

"Joshua!" Forzen's voice was strong through the speakers, refusing to bend to the fear and concern he was feeling. "Joshua, answer me!"

"Wh-What do we do? We- We-" Tommy began to stumble over himself, game abandoned as the events made themselves known. The others all began to congregate, an emergency meeting of Scientists and Scoundrels. "We can't call an ambulance, they'll find him and-"

Bubby took Tommy by the collar. "And just let him bleed out? We'll help him break out of the fucking hospital afterwards! No point if he dies right now!"

The VOX tried to step in. "BUBBY. CALM."

"I'll give you calm in a minute you stupid intercom," Bubby growled back.

Coomer frowned. "Bubby, you know that-"

"We should get an ambulance." Benry slapped a hand over Coomer's mouth. "Get him cool help. Maybe secret ambulance. Dark web ambulance."

"Those don't exist, we've been over this, Benry." Scowling, Darnold crossed his arms. "And say we do call an ambulance, who's going to ensure Black Mesa doesn't take us away before we can help break him out? How else will we get to Gordon?"

"We're not going to get a chance to help Gordon if we don't call an ambulance." Joshua's lack of response was starting to get to Forzen. He tapped his foot impatiently. "He needs medical help, and he needs it now. Kid doesn't even have a helmet."

Benry sniffed. "Helmets are big import. Protect brain."

"It didn't do you a lot," Bubby answered, letting go of Tommy and letting the man smooth down his coat.

"CALM. VOTE." The VOX spoke again, although there was something in its words that were more subdued, if it were possible. "HOSPITAL. NO HOSPITAL."

A silence, then-

Bubby, Forzen, and the VOX spoke. "Hospital."

Tommy, Darnold, and Coomer spoke. "No hospital."

Benry shrugged. "Amber lamps."

"Neither," coughed out Joshua.

The argument halted in place as the phone shifted. It scraped against the ground as Joshua tilted it, letting the forward facing camera get a look at him. The Science Team gathered anxiously on the screen, staring out and waiting as the camera readjusted to the light, showing them the young boy.

To say Joshua was banged up would be an understatement. The right side of his face was scraped to hell and back, skin raw and bleeding. His nose wasn't broken, but it'd been hit hard enough to get a small trickle of blood. The shirt he was wearing sported a few holes, and as Joshua strugged to sit up, much to the protests of his companions, his scraped arms came into view, along with the ripped pants, now stained red in several places.

"I'm alive... hooray..." he weakly cheered, exhausted and sore.

Bubby deflated, tension draining out of him in an effect that rippled through the other members of the group. "Thank God..."

Joshua smiled at them. "Can't kill me..."

Darnold laughed. "It seems not."

There was no rush to get Joshua back on the bike and on his way. His back was sore, and his myriad of injuries, plus the exhaustion brought about by a sudden rush, and then disappearance of adrenaline, meant that he was going to need a good minute until he was ready.

Patiently, everyone waited. Tommy and Benry worked together to operate the phone's flashlight, checking that Joshua's pupils properly dilated. They did, much to the relief of the Science Team.

"Do you feel nauseous?" Benry asked, skimming a list of concussion symptoms. "Dizzy? Confused?"

Joshua rubbed at his eyes. "I've been confused this whole time."

Benry tutted. "A concussion before we even started. Damn. Neg 2 penalty on checks."

Tommy gently slapped Benry across the back of the head, which was rather futile considering the guard still wore his helmet. "Don't joke about that, he's- it's very important!"

Benry simply waved Tommy off, vanishing into some other part of the phone. Tommy didn't bother to give chase, instead focusing on Joshua. "Are you alright?"

"M'thirsty." Slowly, Joshua reached towards his backpack. It'd come off during the fall, landing only an arm's reach away from him. He grabbed the shoulder strap and dragged it closer, unzipping it slowly. His head ached, and his vision was slightly blurred, but he tried to think past it.

His bottle of aloe water was at the top, and he withdrew it, taking a good long sip. It was a wonderful contrast to the sun, and he swore he felt better already.

"Joshua!" Bubby's voice came from the phone, sounding excited. Joshua put the cap on his drink and set it aside on the road. "Joshua, look."

Unlocking his phone, Joshua found himself looking at a map. There was a thin blue line leading from where he assumed he was, all the way to a diner. He tilted his head (and proceeded to regret it considering the pain) in confusion. "Lunch?"

"And somewhere to clean up. It's regulation that all restaurants have some kind of medical kit on the premises."

"Is it?" Coomer asked.

"I'unno, probably," Bubby answered. "Better than roasting out here in the sun."

"JOSHUA. STEAK." 

Softly, Joshua snickered at the VOX's words. "Yeah. Turning into a burger out here."

Forzen forced his way onto the screen. "I heard burgers."

Joshua laughed.

As Joshua slowly gathered himself, staggering to his feet and slinging his backpack onto his back, his phone switched itself to silent.

Bubby stood awkwardly in the strange place the Science Team had inhabited. Darnold had retreated to the notes with Benry and Forzen, while Tommy and Coomer had gone to plot out their journey to the Black Mesa Headquarters, leaving Bubby alone with the VOX.

Nervously, Bubby wrung his hands together. His bottom lip was caught between his teeth, and at the rate he was going, he was going to chew through it soon enough. He tried not to mak eye contact with the VOX as he spoke. "Listen. About before-"

"VOX IS. INTERCOM." The VOX replied. "ANGRY. SCARED. WORRY FOR JOSHUA." It approached Bubby with its not-entirely-a-body. "STILL. ANGRY WORDS. HURT."

Bubby sighed. "I know. I'm- I am-" He began to trip over himself and the VOX waited patiently. "You know I'm not good at this."

"WAIT. PATIENT." It seemed to smile.

"I'm sorry. There." Despite the words, there was no bite. Apologies were just something Bubby had never been programmed to make. Not genuine ones, anyway. "Shouldn't have said it, didn't want to say it, was just-"

"SCARED."

"Yeah. Scared." Clearing his throat, Bubby stretched his arms above his head. "So, let's pretend that never happened."

"MIND. BLANK." 

Bubby smiled. "That's what I like to hear. What say we-"

Bubby's suggestion was cut off as Tommy appeared with what appeared to be a map. "I just- I found out the diner serves burgers!"

"Don't most diners do that?" Bubby asked.

"B-But kids love burgers! They love the McDonalds and the Burger Kings and the Wendys!" His cheerful smile made Bubby pause, glancing over to the VOX.

It seemed to shrug. "BURGER. CHILD. GOOD."

Tommy blinked. "You're not- You can't make a burger out of a child. That's not right! That's more wrong than a polar bear in the desert!"

"That's not-" Bubby sighed. "Don't worry about it Tommy. Go... find something interesting about the OSHA history of the diner or something."

"Good idea! Can't have Joshua eating at a bad place, or we'll- Gordon will smack us silly!" He turned and vanished before Bubby could mention anything about Gordon's inability to smack them, or cause them any kind of damage.

At least, not in the immediate future anyway.

The bike rumbled gently as Joshua held the handlebars. It hurt to stand, and raising his leg to swing it over the bike seat made him wince, gritting his teeth in an attempt to not cry out. It wasn't any easier settling back onto the seat either, with his sore bones and muscles resting against the pedals and the bike seat itself.

His backpack felt heavier than normal, but Joshua knew it was just the strain of things. Even his crowbar felt more weightly as he put it between the straps of his bag, keeping it in place against his tailbone.

"We... good to go?" he asked, trying to find somewhere more comfortable to sit. It didn't work.

Looking at the phone screen, Joshua watched Tommy nod and pull up the map, pointing at their path. "Just follow the road! Like- Like it's got Yellow Bricks!"

"Isn't that from The Wizard of Oz?" Joshua asked.

"I may have... watched it? Or be in the middle of it? I'm multitasking, I'm very good at it!" Tommy's tone became defensive as he aggressively pointed at the map line going from their current location to the diner. "Just- The road! Follow it!"

And then he was gone, presumably to continue watching The Wizard of Oz.

Giving a slight pedal to get them started, Joshua gripped the lever and eased onto it, letting the bike begin to pick up speed. He didn't ride as fast as he had been before, but he still kept it reasonable. It'd be no good letting his fear get to him.

He adjusted his grip on the phone, holding it against the handlebars again. "The Wizard of Oz isn't even a good movie," he said, swerving around some roadkill.

"Agreed," Darnold answered. Benry and Coomer also voiced their agreements, along with Bubby.

Forzen was having none of it. "EXCUSE ME. WHAT? IT'S NOT GOOD? WHAT?"

Joshua knew the conversation was set for the rest of the ride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ngl my fic self esteem is in the ground rn so this might be on hiatus bc I lowkey hate it but who knows I don't post normal


End file.
